Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space

Transcription

1 IOAN ANDREESCU&VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space Prefa]` de / Foreword by ½Eseuri de arhitectur`¹ / ½Architecture Essays¹ Editura Funda]iei Arhitext design Bucure[ti

2 Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Na]ionale a Romåniei ANDREESCU, IOAN Identitate [i alteritate în spa]iul urban = Identity and alterity in the urban space / Ioan Andreescu, Vlad Gaivoronschi ; ed.: Arpad Zachi ; red.: Valentina Båcu ; trad.: Claudia Rada, Magda Teodorescu, Ioan Andreescu, Ionu] Butu ; pref.: Adrian Iona[iu. - Bucure[ti : Editura Funda]iei Arhitext Design, 2009 Bibliogr. ISBN I. Gaivoronschi, Vlad II. Zachi Arpad (ed.) III. Rada, Claudia (trad.) IV. Teodorescu, Magda (trad.) V. Andreescu, Ioan (trad.) VI. Butu, Ionu] (trad.) VII. Iona[iu, Adrian (pref.) 711.4(498)

3 Datele edi]iei Data about the edition Editor / Publisher Arpad Zachi Redactori / Editorial staff Valentina Båcu Elena Smeianu Design / Graphic Design Faber Studio (Dinu Dumbr`vician, Silvia Olteanu) Tehnoredactare / Make-up editorship Valentina Båcu Corectur` / Proofreading Valentina Båcu Elena Smeianu Traduceri / Translations Claudia Rada Magda Teodorescu Ionu] Butu Ioan Andreescu Produs de / Printed by Exclus Prod Arhiva de idei «Arhitext» Funda]ia Arhitext design

4 Str. Academiei nr , Sector 1, Bucure[ti, Romånia tel. [i fax / phone number and fax: 40(21) redactie@arhitextdesign.ro arhitext_redactie@b.astral.ro Copyright 2009 Arhitext Funda]ia Arhitext design are dreptul de copyright pentru toate materialele con]inute în acest volum. Reproducerea integral` sau par]ial` a textului sau a materialului ilustrativ poate fi f`cut` numai cu acordul scris al posesorului dreptului. The book is subject to copyright, therefore any reproduction of the text or illustrations or otherwise should be approved in writing only by the copyright holder. Cartea a ap`rut cu sprijinul Ordinului Arhitec]ilor din Romånia din timbrul arhitecturii. The book appeared with the support of the Order of Architects from Romania, from architecture stamp funds.

5 Cuprins Content 11 Prefa]` 17 Foreword 23 Curriculum Vitae Ioan Andreescu 27 Curriculum Vitae Ioan Andreescu 31 Curriculum Vitae Vlad Gaivoronschi 35 Curriculum Vitae Vlad Gaivoronschi Capitolul I First Chapter Despre modernitate About Modernity 39 De la geam c`tre vitraliu 47 From Ordinary to Stained Glass 55 Despre Muzeul Arhitecturii Extras din textul explicativ al proiectului 57 On the Architecture Museum Excerpt from the explanatory text of the project 59 O succesiune discutat` Pe marginea unei expozi]ii de arhitectur` post-modern` la Timi[oara 67 A Much Debated Succesion On an Exhibition of Post-modern Architecture in Timi[oara 75 Modernitatea sau Spiritul timpului Modernitatea mitologia rupturii 79 Modernity or the Spirit of Time Modernity the Mythology of Rupture 83 n c`utarea realului Sau ceea ce este continuu \n manifest`rile arhitecturale ale secolului al XX-lea 5

6 89 In Search of the Real Or Continuity in the Architectural Expressions of the XXth century 95 Despre alteritate \n arhitectur` Ipotez` despre «spa]iul total» 99 On Alterity in Architecture Hypothesis on the Total Space 105 Originile spirituale ale arhitecturii moderniste 125 The Spiritual Origins of Modern Architecture 143 Despre vizibil [i invizibil Scenografia locurilor [i a simbolurilor Timi[oara The Visible and the Invisible Place and Symbolic Scenography. Timi[oara Arhitectura ca hipertext Sau «imaginea» ca moarte a integrit`]ii 169 Architecture as Hypertext Or «the image» as the Death of Wholeness 173 Despre tradi]ie [i modernitate Sau Consisten]a \ndoielnic` a identit`]ii colective 187 On Tradition and Modernity Or the Doubtful Consistency of the Collective Identity Capitolul II Second Chapter Locuirea spa]iului urban The Urban Space Habitation 205 Din pivni]` pån` \n pod 211 From the Cellar to the Attic 215 ntre stereotomie [i textil` 227 Between Stereotomy and Fabric 239 Despre «arta locului» 249 About «the Art of the Place» 259 «Branding» [i Patrimoniu O ecua]ie posibil` 261 «Branding» and Heritage A Possible Equation 6

7 Capitolul III Third Chapter Peisaj urban Urban Landscape 267 Despre spiritualitatea practic` 271 On Practical Spirituality 275 Ora[ul, figura [i puterea Bienala de Arhitectur` de la Vene]ia, edi]ia a X-a 281 City, Figure, and Power The Tenth Architectural Biennale from Venice 285 Nu trebuie s` ne mai batem capul 291 We shouldn t bother anymore 295 Interven]ii \n ]esutul urban Dou` proiecte vieneze 307 Intervention in Urban Infrastructure Two Viennese Projects 319 Cinci puncte subiective Bienala de Arhitectur` de la Vene]ia, Five Subjective Points Venice Architecture Biennale, Peisaj artificial [i arhitectur` urban` Almere Stad 353 Artificial Landscape and Urban Architecture Almere Stad 7

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9 ADRIAN IONA{IU Prefa]` / Foreword

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11 O imagine provizorie IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Prezentul volum, care reune[te o parte din textele colegilor mei (1) Ioan Andreescu [i Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi, vine s` \ntregeasc` portretul acestora \nceput anul trecut cu volumul ap`rut sub acela[i semn Arhitext Ioan Andreescu & Vlad Gaivoronschi Discursurile (post)moderne ale arhitecturii care adun` o parte, destul de restråns`, a proiectelor lor. mp`r]irea \n dou` volume distincte (este vorba de monografia mai sus men]ionat` [i de prezentul volum de eseuri n. red.), fireasc`, dac` e privit` strict editorial din considerente de format, serie [i altele, este, \ns`, destul de precar`, c`ci teoria [i practica sunt la ei dou` entit`]i \ntr-o permanent` osmoz`, legate \mpreun` asemeni unui desen de Escher un autor drag lui Andreescu. Cea mai mare parte din decada 80 este consacrat` \n principal proiectelor de concurs o cale perfect` de medita]ie asupra arhitecturii [i rostului ei. Articolul pentru Seminarul International de Arhitectur` din 1982 de la Bucure[ti, De la geam c`tre vitraliu, (2) vine ca o concluzie dup` dou` concursuri [i o expozi]ie A House Between History and Now, Shinkenchiku International Residential Competition 1980, The Chapel of Meditation, Shinkenchiku International Design Competition 1981, la care echipa (3) a luat un incredibil, pentru acea vreme, loc II, [i, respectiv, Om, ora[, natur`, expozi]ia de la Ia[i din Alegerea pentru proiectele de concurs [i expozi]ii a unor teme fundamentaliste este, pe undeva, influen]a minunatei expozi]ii Scrierea, organizat` la Institutul de Arhitectur` «Ion Mincu» Bucure[ti, \n 1980, de Wanda Mihuleac [i Mihai Dri[cu, ce a reunit limbaje artistice [i [tiin]ifice diverse, aflate sub egida artelor plastice, muzicii, literaturii, arhitecturii [i matematicii, precum [i a unor expozi]ii personale, cele ale lui Sorin Dumitrescu [i Wanda Mihuleac fiind cele mai importante (4). 11

12 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Privind retrospectiv articolul Despre tradi]ie [i modernitate sau Consisten]a \ndoielnic` a identit`]ii colective (5), Ioan Andreescu, f`cånd o pertinent` trecere \n revist` a activit`]ii de la \nceputul anilor 80 al grupului din care f`cea parte, consemneaz`, legat de proiectul pentru concursul japonez din 1983, A House between Tradition and Modernity, proiect niciodat` finalizat: «Am ales ca punct de pornire forma cea mai «autentic`» a tradi]iei constructive na]ionale aflat` dincolo de orice influen]e externe sau perturba]ii interne bordeiul, locuin]a \ngropat` \n p`månt, \nc` prezent` la \nceputul secolului al XX-lea. Presupunerea c` am ales o direc]ie inspirat`, datorit` bog`]iei de simboluri, de conota]ii religioase, antropologice sau ecologice, s-a dovedit un e[ec. Magia inspira]iei a refuzat s` se produc` [i criza acestei direc]ii s-a dovedit real`». Ca o consecin]` fireasc` a acestui impas, 1983 va deveni anul clarific`rii [i cotiturii radicale. Totu[i, la \nceputul acestuia, grupul mai avea s` parcurg` o etap` «inspirat`» de trecut printr-un frumos proiect trimis la Praga A Theatre for Tours «o celebrare deschis` a canonului o platform` urban` cu decoruri fixe inspirate din peisajele lui De Chirico, a[ezate peste un hemiciclu subteran care exhiba legendara cortin` a lui Schinkel» (6), iar Ioan Andreescu va scrie articolul O succesiune discutat` pe marginea unei expozi]ii de arhitectur` post-modern` la Timi[oara, \n care cerea ascultarea cu deplin` responsabilitate a glasurilor [i [oaptelor post-modernismului, justificarea fiind un citat din Baltrusaitis (7). n 1983, grupul format din Ioan Andreescu, Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi [i Florin Colpacci va participa la un concurs \n Gent, Belgia, pentru Architektuurmuseum un muzeu de arhitectur` cu un r`spuns ce aducea cu «o stranie premoni]ie a viitorului imediat al tehnologiei (...) un muzeu arhitectural virtual accesibil printr-o re]ea informatic` ce sem`na cu ceea ce avea s` devin` Internetul» (8). Justificarea acestei viziuni o g`sim \n textul explicativ al proiectului Despre Muzeul Arhitecturii «Noile tehnologii (computer, lasere, holograme) permit op]iuni libere \n cadrul structurilor existente, f`cåndu-ne s` p`r`sim limit`rile cauzalit`]ii lineare [i ale clasific`rilor rigide. O sfer` universal` a imaginarului se na[te. Ceea ce p`rea nu demult o metafor` (...) 12

13 poate deveni o realitate, o sfer` omniprezent`, dar care poate fi particular` \n spa]iul real al fiec`ruia (El Aleph), \n care existen]ele fiin]eaz` datorit` noilor rela]ii. Arhitectura poate deveni imaterial`, dar efectiv`, invadat` de imaginar» va consfin]i drumul nou \nceput printr-un alt proiect vizionar (9), The style of the year 2000, tot pentru Shinkenchiku International Design Competition, lucrare sub influen]a fabulosului film din 1982 al lui Ridley Scott, cu imagini ale viitorului designate conceptual de Syd Mead, Blade Runner. n proiectul trimis la concursul japonez, casa cu framework-ul ei tehnologic organizat de un computer devine «un teritoriu al libert`]ii ce organizeaz` regresiunea vie]ii \n zonele \n care dorin]a nu e contrazis` de bariere ca [i cum ai tr`i \n propriul t`u vis. (...) Atåt timp cåt scenariile, life-style-urile, matricele generatoare de ambient sunt controlate de proprietar, casa este un teren al libert`]ii, altfel devine un apex al alien`rii [i frustr`rii un mod de a tr`i \n co[marul altuia». Un co[mar ast`zi tot mai aproape de noi prin camerele de supraveghere amplasate pretutindeni, urm`rirea continu` prin internet [i telefon, [tirile fabricate, reality-show-urile scrise de produc`tori iar lista e doar la \nceput. ncepånd cu acest an 84, drumurile colegilor mei Ioan Andreescu [i Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi, lega]i \n continuare prin proiecte [i, mai apoi, printr-o firm`, vor avea un parcurs paralel. Primul, modernist convins, dar \ntr-o form` arhetipal` ce p`streaz` ideile insuflate de Matila Ghyka [i de studiul altor autori c` \n spatele aparen]ei exist` o ordine ce trebuie descoperit` [i relevat`, al doilea, de asemenea modernist, dar \ntr-o form` umanizat` ce p`streaz` credin]a \n posibilitatea de continuitate a tradi]iei, \n materialitatea obiectului arhitectural [i \n celebrarea spiritului locului (10). Aceasta este [i explica]ia celor dou` lucr`ri ale lor, Ioan Andreescu Origini spirituale \n arhitectura modern`, ap`rut` la editurile Paideia [i Simetria \n 2000 [i Vlad Gaivoronschi Matricile spa]iului tradi]ional, ap`rut` la editura Paideia \n Semnele rupturii de modernitatea f`r` fond erau, \ns`, deja vizibile \ntr-un articol critic din 1983, La Mordernité ou l Esprit du temps. La modernité la mythologie de la rupture, \n care se IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 13

14 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban afirm`: «Criza modernismului este, de asemenea, efectul caracterului fragil [i non-autentic al mitologiilor sale» (11). Post-modernimul epocii nu avea cum s` umple golul produs de modernitate, transparen]a ultim` care nu dezv`luia nimic, c`ci «Arhitectura de ast`zi, realist`, vorbind, post-modern`, de-structurat`, nu face decåt s` nareze simple nostalgii, vise f`cute s` anuleze rupturi care nu sunt adev`rate [i s` recupereze vechile limbaje, dar \n absen]a sensului. Este un fel de pl`cere a textului (Barthes) pr`bu[it, epuizat, asupra sa \nsu[i...» (12). Receptivi la nou, acesta este \nsu[it de ei cu discern`månt dup` o evaluare critic`. Sunt semnificative, pentru cele spuse, trei proiecte legate de telefonia fix` [i mobil` Agen]ia comercial` [i de rela]ii cu publicul Romtelecom, Timi[oara, 2000, semnat \mpreun` de cei doi, Agen]ia de rela]ii cu publicul Romtelecom, Bucure[ti, 2005, semnat de Vlad Gaivoronschi [i Magazinul Star Telefonica, Timi[oara, 2007, semnat de Ioan Andreescu (din p`cate, cele trei proiecte nu mai exist` n. red.). Primul, o amenajare din 2000 complet introvertit`, \n ciuda deschiderii c`tre public, red` un spa]iu aproape negru cu un «såmbure» de sticl`, inundat de lumin`, unde, pe ni[te socluri sculpturale de piatr` realizate de regretatul sculptor Victor Gaga, sunt dispuse, ca ni[te obiecte pre]ioase, aparatele. La cea de-a doua, realizat` cinci ani mai tårziu, spa]iul se deschide, peretele exterior devine o sticl` serigrafiat` care juxtapune ritmica ei peste ritmica exterioar` a trec`torilor [i re]eua perfect` din interior, aparatele fiind \nchise \n vitrine pre]ioase. La a treia, mai restråns`, construit` \n urm` cu doi ani, spa]iul se purific` [i mai mult, chiar dac` mai p`streaz` o parte din misterul primei amenaj`ri prin lumina indirect` pe telefoanele mobile [i constela]ia grafiat` la intrare. Toate cele trei sunt, cumva, un r`spuns concret la \ntrebarea pe care [i-o punea retoric Vlad Gaivoronschi \n \ncheierea articolului s`u Din pivni]` pån` \n pod «Ce importan]` mai au pivni]a [i podul privite dintr-un punct de vedere la zi?». «Noul model nu mai este cel antropomorf, ci unul ce genereaz` arhitecturi nea[teptate, nem`surate [i viscerale, teritoriu hibrid \ntre real [i virtual, \ntre organic [i anorganic, \ntre digital [i genetic. Tradi]ionala poetic` a pivni]ei [i podului face, 14

15 astfel, loc unei noi forme supermoderne de locuire \ntr-un mediu bio-virtual, lume a unei alterit`]i infinite...». Textele lor din anii 80 sunt un fel de preambul pentru temele care-i preocup` ast`zi. De exemplu, articolul ntre contextualism [i modernitate un centru cultural multifunc]ional, care prezint` studiul de sistematizare a ansamblului, distins cu premiul Uniunii Arhitec]ilor din Romånia \n 1986, ce vorbe[te despre straturile obiectului principal [i stratificarea \ntregului ansamblu (13), este legat, prin timp, de articolele recente ale lui Ioan Andreescu, Peisaj artificial [i arhitectur` urban` Almere Stad (14) [i Interven]ii în ]esutul urban dou` proiecte vieneze, despre compozi]iile urbane ce reflect` «diversitatea unei lumi formale, pozi]ionate pe ondula]ia continu` a unui peisaj artificial un mariaj \ntre continuitate [i discontinuitate, \ntre obiectele construite [i spa]iile dintre ele» (15). Textele lor recente sunt \ns` rafinate, «updatate», legate de preocup`rile lor actuale [i de proiectele \n curs. Dictat` de lungimea impus`, prefa]a aceasta este prea scurt` pentru a cuprinde toat` complexitatea unei munci de aproape trei decenii. Ioan Andreescu [i Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi continu` s` proiecteze, s` scrie, s` participe la expozi]ii [i la concursuri, s` conferen]ieze [i s` predea. Ei continu` s` fie asemeni proiectelor lor \n evolu]ie, iat` de ce voi \ncheia aici, provizoriu, continuånd s` urm`resc ce au de ar`tat, ce au de spus. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. Cånd vorbesc despre textele [i proiectele lor, mi-e dificil s` fiu un simplu observator, c`ci am fost colegi la facultate [i vreme de dou`zeci de ani multe lucruri au fost f`cute \mpreun`. 2. Scris de Ioan Andreescu, Alexandru Florin Colpacci, Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi [i subsemnatul. 3. Ioan Andreescu, Florin Colpacci, Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi, Adrian-Florin Iona[iu, Claudiu Panaitescu. 4. Cåt pentru forma]ia lor clasic`, trebuie amintite lecturile de atunci din Andrea Palladio, Quattro Libri dell Architettura (Patru c`r]i de arhitectur`); Paul Letarouilly, Edifices de Rome Moderne (1840, 1857); Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Antichita Romanae (1748); Julien Guadet, Elements et Theorie de L Architecture (1902); cåteva studiate \n edi]ie princeps la biblioteca Institutului de Arhitectur` «Ion Mincu» din Bucure[ti. 5. Prezentat` \n cadrul Conferin]ei Interna]ionale Genius loci din Din lunga «confesiune» sub denumirea Despre tradi]ie [i modernitate sau Consisten]a \ndoielnic` a identit`]ii colective. 7. «Arhaismele reapar nu prin accident sau devieri locale, ci \n virtutea unei reac]ii 15

16 morfologice generale, supunåndu-se ritmului istoric Pretutindeni, \n mod constant, rede[tept`rile sunt båntuite de miracole.» 8. Tot din Despre tradi]ie [i modernitate De remarcat, \n sensul celor spuse, proiectul din 1999 pentru «Times Magazine» al lui Bernard Tschumi, Urban Glass House, NY, ale c`rui premise sunt acelea[i ca ale proiectului de concurs din 1983 al grupului. 10. Sau, cum spune Dana Vais \n prefa]a volumului Ioan Andreescu & Vlad Gaivoronschi, Discursurile (post)moderne ale arhitecturii: «Andreescu crede \n prima modernitate, cea arhetipal` a Rena[terii: nu caut` ra]iunea, ci mistica ra]iunii, nu ordinea, ci ordonan]a divin`. Gaivoronschi crede \n modernitatea umanizat` prin fenomenologie [i capacitatea \ntoarcerii prin gest concret la arhetip [i esen]ial». Din punctul de vedere al celor spuse, sunt semnificative pentru Vlad Gaivoronschi cåteva articole ap`rute dup` anul 2000, Despre arta locului, un r`spuns la un chestionar «Arhitext», Din pivni]` pån` \n pod, un editorial pentru revista «de arhitectur`» nr. 5, [i ntre stereotomie [i textil`, \n timp ce pentru Ioan Andrescu este definitoriu articolul din 1996 Despre vizibil [i invizibil scenografia locurilor [i a simbolurilor, Timi[oara n original: «La crise du modernisme est aussi l effet du caractère fragile et nonauthentique de ses mythologies». 12. n original: «L architecture de nos jours, réaliste, parlante, post-moderne, de-structurée, ne fait que narrer des nostalgies simples, rêve d annuler les ruptures qui n ont pas été vraies, et de récupérer les anciens langages, mais en l absence des sens. Il s agit d une sorte de plaisir du texte (Barthes) replié, épuisé, sur soi-même...». 13. «Mediator \ntre calit`]i disjuncte [i cantit`]i diverse, centrul cultural este un sistem complex, polifonic [i stratificat.» 14. Prezentat ini]ial \n conferin]a cu acela[i nume ]inut` \n cadrul «Anualei timi[orene de arhitectur` a_ta 2007» [i publicat` \n iunie 2008 \n volumul dedicat evenimentului «blog a_ta». 15. Ibid.

17 A Fleeting Glimpse IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI This volume, containing only a part of the texts drafted by my colleagues (1) Ioan Andreescu and Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi completes a portrait the contours of which were first traced last year, in a book equally published under the auspices of Arhitext Ioan Andreescu & Vlad Gaivoronschi The (Post)modern Discourses of Architecture which included a rather small part of their projects. The division in two distinct volumes (the author is referring to the monograph mentioned above and the actual volume of essays editorial note), a natural one, when considered from a strictly editorial perspective in terms of format, series and others is nevertheless arbitrary, because theory and practice are, in their case, two entities in a permanent osmosis, interconnected like in a drawing by Escher an author close to Andreescu. For them, the 80s meant, to a large extent, the years of competition projects a perfect modality of meditation on architecture and its meaning. The article drafted for the International Architecture Seminar held in Bucharest in 1982, From Ordinary to Stained Glass, (2) may be regarded as a conclusion drawn after two contests and an exhibition A House between History and Now, Shinkenchiku International Residential Competition 1980, The Chapel of Meditation, Shinkenchiku International Design Competition 1981, where the team (3) occupied an incredible, for that time, second place, and Man, City, Nature, respectively, the exhibition which took place in Ia[i in The choice of fundamentalist topics for contest projects and exhibitions is, in a way, the expression of the influence exerted by the wonderful exhibition Writing, organized at the «Ion Mincu» Architecture Institute in Bucharest, in 1980, by Wanda Mihuleac and Mihai Dri[cu, which reunited various artistic and scientific languages used in plastic arts, music, literature, architecture and mathematics, as 17

18 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space well as several personal exhibitions, among which those of Sorin Dumitrescu and Wanda Mihuleac were the most important (4). In retrospect, in the article On Tradition and Modernity or the Doubtful Consistency of Collective Identity (5), Ioan Andreescu, after a pertinent review of the activity carried out in the early 80s by the group whose member he was, wrote the following, with reference to the project for the 1983 Japanese contest A House Between Tradition and Modernity, project which was never finalized: «I have chosen as a starting point the most «authentic» form of the national building tradition, which is beyond any external influences or domestic disturbances: the shanty, the dwelling buried in the ground, still present at the beginning of the XXth century. The assumption that I made an inspired choice, due to its richness in symbols, religious, anthropologic or ecological connotations, has proven to be false. The magical inspiration refused to materialize and the crisis of such a choice has proven to be genuine». As a natural consequence of such deadlock, 1983 would become the year of clarifications and a turning point. However, at the beginning of that year, the group still had another «inspired» phase to go through by means of a beautiful project sent to Prague A Theatre for Tours «an open celebration of the canon an urban platform with fixed setting, inspired by the landscapes of De Chirico, placed on top of an underground hemicycle which exhibited Schinkel s legendary curtain» (6) and Ioan Andreescu was to write A Debated Succesion On an Exhibition of Postmodern Architecture in Timi[oara in which he demanded a fully responsible listening to the voices and whispers of postmodernism, the justification being a quote from Baltrusaitis (7). In 1983, the group consisting of Ioan Andreescu, Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi and Florin Colpacci participated in a contest in Gent, Belgium, for Architektuurmuseum a museum of architecture with an answer indicative of «a strange premonition of the immediate future of technology (...) a virtual museum of architecture, accessible via a computer network much similar to an Internet about to take shape» (8). The justification of such vision can be found in the explanatory text accompanying the project On the Architecture Museum «The new technologies (computers, lasers, holograms) afford free options within the existing structures, causing us to leave 18

19 the limitations of linear causality and rigid classifications. A universal sphere of the imaginary is coming into being. What seemed not so long ago to be a metaphor ( ) can turn into reality, an omnipresent sphere which might become private in each person s real space (El Aleph), in which the existences are due to new relations. Architecture can become immaterial, but actual, invaded by the imaginary» will validate the path on which they started via another visionary project (9), The style of the year 2000, also for Shinkenchiku International Design Competition, a work influenced by Ridley Scott s fabulous 1982 film Blade Runner, boasting visions of the future in the conceptual design of Syd Mead. In the project sent to the Japanese contest, the house with its technological framework organized by a computer becomes «a territory of freedom which causes life to recede, in an organized fashion, towards those areas where desire is not contradicted by barriers as if you lived in your own dream. (...) As long as the scenarios, lifestyles, matrices generating ambiance are controlled by the owner, the house is the land of freedom; otherwise it becomes an apex of alienation and frustration, a mode of living in somebody else s nightmare». A nightmare which gets increasingly closer to us, nowadays, by means of the surveillance cameras placed everywhere, the continuous Internet and telephone monitoring, the fabricated news, the reality shows written by producers and this is just the beginning of the list. Starting from that year, 1984, the paths followed by my colleagues, Ioan Andreescu and Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi, who remained nevertheless in touch by projects and subsequently by a joint firm, separated into parallel directions. The former became a fervent advocate of modernism, however, in an archetypal form which preserves the ideas promoted by Matila Ghyka and by other authors, according to whom, behind appearances there is an order which should be discovered and revealed; the latter also became an adept of modernism, but in a humanized form, which preserves the faith in the possibility to continue the tradition, in the materiality of the architectural object and in celebrating the spirit of a place (10). These directions also account for their two papers, Ioan Andreescu, Spiritual Origins of Modern Architecture, published at the Paideia and Simetria Publishing Houses in 2000, and Vlad Gaivoronschi, Matrices IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 19

20 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space of Traditional Space, published at Paideia Publishing House in However, the indications of a rupture from the unsubstantial modernity were already noticeable in a critical article written in 1983, La Mordernité ou l Esprit du temps La modernité la mythologie de la rupture, which stated that «The crisis modernism undergoes is also the effect of the fragile and unauthentic character of its mythologies» (11). There was no way in which the postmodernism of that time could fill the void produced by modernity, the ultimate transparency which did not reveal anything, because «The architecture of our times, realistic, eloquent, postmodern, de-structured, merely narrates about simple nostalgia, dreams to annul ruptures which are not true, and to recover old languages, all of this, however, against the absence of meaning. We are dealing with some sort of pleasure of the text (Barthes), exhausted, folded on itself» (12). Responsive to new realities, they appropriate such, however, in a judicious manner, after a critical evaluation. We can illustrate the assertions above by three projects relating to fixed and GSM telephony The Romtelecom commercial and public relations agency, Timi[oara, 2000, co-signed by the two, The Romtelecom public relations agency, Bucharest, 2005, by Vlad Gaivoronschi and the Star Telefonica Shop, Timi[oara, 2007, by Ioan Andreescu (unfortunately, these projects do not exist anymore editorial note). The first, a piece of arrangement work dating from 2000, although meant for public use, is a completely introverted one, a black space containing a «kernel» of glass, flooded by light, where, on sculptural stone pedestals achieved by the much regretted sculptor Victor Gaga, the devices are placed like precious objects. In the case of the latter, achieved five years later, the space opens, the exterior wall is made of screen printed glass joining her rhythm to the exterior rhythms of the passers-by and of the perfect interior network, the devices being closed in precious china cabinets. In the third case, an intervention in a more restricted space which took place two years ago, the space is purified even more, notwithstanding that it still preserves some of the mystery accompanying the first arrangement works due to the light cast obliquely on the mobile phones and the graphic constellation at the entrance. All three are somehow a specific answer to the question Vlad Gaivoronschi rhetorically asked himself in the closing lines of his 20

21 article From the Cellar to the Attic «What relevance could the cellar and the attic have when regarded from an «up-to-date» perspective? The new model is not the anthropomorphous one, but one generating unexpected, unmeasured, visceral forms of architecture, a hybrid territory between the real and the virtual, between the organic and the inorganic, between the digital and the genetic. The traditional poetics of the cellar and attic is thus giving way to a new, supra-modern form of habitation in a bio-virtual environment, a world of infinite alterity». The texts written in the 80s are a sort of preamble to the issues of concern to them nowadays. For instance, the text written for «Arhitectura» magazine no. 6/1987, Between Contextualism and Modernity a Multiuse Cultural Center, which presents the urban planning survey for the set of buildings that was awarded the Prize of the Romanian Union of Architects in 1986, dealing with the layers of the main object and the layering of the entire set of buildings (13), connects, over time, with the recent articles written by Ioan Andreescu, Artificial Landscape and Urban Architecture Almere Stad (14) and Interventions in the Urban Fabric Two Viennese Projects, on urban compositions which reflect «the diversity of a formal world, positioned against the continuous undulation of an artificial landscape a marriage between continuity and discontinuity, between the built objects and the spaces between them» (15). Their recent texts are even more refined and updated and deal with their current concerns and ongoing projects. By reason of imposed length requirements, this foreword cannot convey the entire complexity of a work covering almost three decades. Ioan Andreescu and Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi continue to design, to write, to participate in exhibitions and contests, to hold conferences and to teach. They continue to evolve, just like their projects. This is why I shall end this foreword here, but I shall continue to observe closely what they set out to show and to tell. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. It is hard for me to act as a mere observer when talking about their texts and projects, because we were colleagues at the university and have achieved many things together in twenty years. 2. Written by Ioan Andreescu, Alexandru Florin Colpacci, Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi and the undersigned. 21

22 3. Ioan Andrescu, Florin Colpacci, Vlad Alexandru Gaivoronschi, Adrian-Florin Iona[iu, Claudiu Panaitescu. 4. It would be relevant to their classical background to mention such readings as Andrea Palladio, Quattro Libri dell Architettura (Four Books of Architecture); Paul Letarouilly, Edifices de Rome Moderne (1840, 1857); Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Antichita Romanae (1748); Julien Guadet, Elements et Theorie de L Architecture (1902); several thereof even studied in the first edition at the library of the «Ion Mincu» Institute of Architecture in Bucharest. 5. Presented during the International Conference Genius loci in From the long «confession» entitled On Tradition and Modernity or the Doubtful Consistency of Collective Identity. 7. «Archaisms resurface not by accident or local deviations, but by virtue of a general morphological reaction, obeying the historical rhythm Everywhere and constantly, rebirths are haunted by miracles.» 8. Also from On Tradition and Modernity Please note, in line with the foregoing, the 1999 project prepared for «Times Magazine» by Bernard Tschumi, Urban Glass House, NY, the premises of which are identical with those of the group s 1983 contest project. 10. Or, as Dana Vais says in the foreword to Ioan Andreescu & Vlad Gaivoronschi The (Post)modern Dialogues of Architecture: «Andreescu believes in the first, archetypal modernity of the Renaissance: he does not look for reason, but for a mysticism of reason, not for the order, but for the divine ordinance. Gaivoronschi believes in modernity humanized by phenomenology and in the ability to return, by means of a specific gesture, to archetype and to the essential». Thus, very significant for what has been said are, for Vlad Gaivoronschi, several articles published after 2000, On the Art of the Place, an answer to an «Arhitext» questionnaire, From the Cellar to the Attic, a column for the 5th issue of «de arhitectur`» magazine, and the article Between Stereotomy and Fabric, while decisive, for Ioan Andreescu, is the 1996 article The Visible and the Invisible Place and Symbolic Scenography Timi[oara In original: «La crise du modernisme est aussi l effet du caractère fragile et non-authentique de ses mythologies». 12. In original: «L architecture de nos jours, réaliste, parlante, post-moderne, de-structurée, ne fait que narrer des nostalgies simples, rêve d annuler les ruptures qui n ont pas été vraies, et de récupérer les anciens langages, mais en l absence des sens. Il s agit d une sorte de plaisir du texte (Barthes) replié, épuisé, sur soi-même...». 13. «A mediator between different qualities and various quantities, the cultural center is a complex, polyphonic and multi-layered system.» 14. Originally presented in the conference with the same title, held at the «Timi[oara Annual Architecture Conference a_ta 2007» and published in June 2008 in the volume dedicated to the event «blog a_ta». 15. Ibid. (Translation: Claudia Rada)

23 IOAN ANDREESCU Curriculum vitae IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 1957 N`scut \n Timi[oara, Romånia 1979 Diplom` \n Arhitectur`, Institutul Politehnic «Traian Vuia» Timi[oara, Facultatea de Construc]ii, Sec]ia de Arhitectur` 1982 Diplom` \n Arhitectur`, Universitatea de Arhitectur` «Ion Mincu», Bucure[ti 1999 Doctor cu lucrarea «Origini spirituale \n Arhitectura Modern`», Universitatea de Arhitectur` «Ion Mincu», Bucure[ti Experien]` profesional` din 1990 Partener principal la S.C. Andreescu & Gaivoronschi SRL Arhitect la I.P.R.O.TIM Timi[oara; autor [i coautor al mai multor proiecte, unele construite, coautor al unor proiecte pentru concursuri interna]ionale Proiectare, realiz`ri Peste 80 de proiecte, inclusiv de concurs, dintre care peste 50 realizate Activitate academic` Conferen]iar la Facultatea de Arhitectur` din Timi[oara, titular al cursurilor «Modernizare [i reabilitare» (anul VI, sem. I), «Istoria arhitecturii moderne» [i «Proiectare \n stil» (anul IV), «Curente [i metode contemporane» (anul VI, sem. I), «Regenerare urban`» (sem. I [i II Master class de Urbanism) [i «Teorii [i metode \n restaurare [i reconversie» (Master class Restaurare, sem. II), coordonator al activit`]ii de proiectare de sinteze restaurare [i reconversie (master, sem. II), preocupare pentru noile proiecte complexe de regenerare urban` [i de peisaj urban [i noile curente din arhitectura contemporan`, preocupare pentru interven]iile \n situri istorice protejate 23

24 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban {ef lucr`ri, Universitatea «Politehnic`» din Timi[oara, Facultatea de Arhitectur` 1990 Asistent, Universitatea «Politehnic`» din Timi[oara, Facultatea de Arhitectur` Premii [i distinc]ii 1981 Premiul II la «Central Glass International Design Competition», Tokyo (al`turi de Vlad Gaivoronschi, Florin Colpacci, Adrian Iona[iu, Claudiu Panaitescu) 1986 Premiul Uniunii Na]ionale a Arhitec]ilor din Romånia (cu {erban Sturdza, Vlad Gaivoronschi, Dan Popa, Mihai Botescu, Doru Covrig, Nicolae Bu[il`) Centrul Civic Timi[oara 1987 Premiul II la Concursul «O cas` poetic`» Bucure[ti 1990 Premiul I la concursul local pentru Catedrala Ortodox` Fabric (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi) 1994 Dou` cita]ii la Bienala de Arhitectur` Bucure[ti 1994 Nominalizare \n cadrul Bienalei de Arhitectur` Bucure[ti pentru amenajarea magazinului de bijuterii Gold Tim (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi, Ioan Trif) 1995 Premiul special al revistei «Arhitext» pentru lucrarea Centrul de Documentare al Camerei de Comer] Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Adrian Iona[iu) 1995 Premiul trianual «Mac Constantinescu» (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi) 1996 Premiul Bienalei Interna]ionale de Arhitectur` de la Bucure[ti Arhitectur` de interior: Amenajarea Camerei de Comer], Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Adrian Iona[iu) 1996 Premiul Bienalei Interna]ionale de Arhitectur` Bucure[ti Pia]a Badea Cår]an, Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi [i Adrian Iona[iu) 1997 Premiul European pentru cea mai bun` construc]ie metalic` (ECCS) pentru «Membran` tensionat` hibrid` pentru o pia]` \n Timi[oara» (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi, Adrian Iona[iu, prof. ing. V. Gioncu, ing. V. V`caru, dipl. ing. H. Dürr [i dipl. ing. R. Essrich) 1998 Diplom` de performan]` pentru finalizarea lucr`rii «Consolidare [i restaurare Castel Banloc» oferit` de UNRMI 24

25 Uniunea Na]ional` a Restauratorilor de Monumente Istorice (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi) 1999 Premiul special al revistei «Arhitext» pentru Hotelul Reghina Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi) 1999 Premiul «Cel mai complex proiect ArchiCAD» oferit \n cadrul «Simpozionului de arhitectur` ArchiCAD» pentru lucrarea Casa Jumanca, Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu F. Konig) 2000 Nominalizare la Bienala de arhitectur` Bucure[ti pentru Amenajare agen]ie comercial` [i de rela]ii cu publicul Romtelecom, Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi) 2000 Premiul special «Helios» al Bienalei de arhitectur` Bucure[ti pentru Amenajare agen]ie comercial` [i de rela]ie cu publicul Romtelecom, Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi) 2001 Premiul revistei «Arhitext», sec]iunea Design interior pentru Amenajare agen]ie comercial` [i de rela]ii cu publicul Romtelecom, Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Vlad Gaivoronschi) 2005 Nominalizare a revistei «Arhitext» pentru Amenajare exterioar` «curte japonez`» Hotel Reghina, Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Dan Munteanu) 2006 Premiul filialei OAR Timi[oara pentru Design interior magazin Star Telefonica, Timi[oara (\mpreun` cu Marius Hår]a [i Claudiu Toma) 2007 Nominalizare \n cadrul Festivalului «ntre / ntru culturi» organizat de revista «Arhitext» la Sibiu pentru Hotel Reghina 2007 Nominalizare \n cadrul Anualei de Arhitectur` timi[orene pentru proiect Victoria, Sibiu (\mpreun` cu arh. Dan Munteanu) [i pentru proiectul Club nautic [i birouri Timi[oara IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Expozi]ii Participant la expozi]ii \n ]ar` [i str`in`tate (Bucure[ti, Cluj, Timi[oara, Salonic, Istanbul, Szeged, Budapesta, Leipzig, Viena, Bienala de la Vene]ia) 25

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27 IOAN ANDREESCU Curriculum vitae IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 1957 Born in Timi[oara, Romania 1979 University degree in Architecture, «Traian Vuia» Polytechnic Institute, Timi[oara, Faculty of Constructions, Architecture Section 1982 University degree in Architecture, awarded by «Ion Mincu» University of Architecture, Bucharest 1999 PhD with the thesis «Spiritual Origins in Modern Architecture», awarded by «Ion Mincu» University of Architecture, Bucharest Professional experience from 1990 Main partner of S.C. Andreescu & Gaivoronschi SRL Architect at I.P.R.O.TIM Timi[oara; author and co-author of various projects, several materialized, co-author of certain projects for international contests Design activities, achievements Over 80 projects, including competition projects, 50 of which have been materialized Academic activity Principal lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture, Timi[oara, permanent professor for such courses as «Modernization and Restoration» (VIth year, Ist semester), «History of Modern Architecture» and «Designing in Style» (IVth year), «Contemporary Trends and Methods» (VIth year, Ist semester), «Urban Regeneration» (Ist and IInd semesters Urbanism master class) and «Theories and Methods for Restoration and Conversion» (Master class Restoration, IInd semester), coordinator of the synthesis design activities restoration and conversion (master, IInd semester), concern with the new complex urban regeneration and landscape projects and with the 27

28 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space new trends in contemporary architecture, concern with interventions in protected historical sites senior lecturer, Polytechnic University, Timi[oara, Faculty of Architecture 1990 Assistant, Polytechnic University, Timi[oara, Faculty of Architecture Prizes and distinctions 1981 IInd Prize at the «Central Glass International Design Competition», Tokyo (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi, Florin Colpacci, Adrian Iona[iu, Claudiu Panaitescu) 1986 National Prize of the Romanian Architects Union (together with {erban Sturdza, Vlad Gaivoronschi, Dan Popa, Mihai Botescu, Doru Covrig, Nicolae Bu[il`) Timi[oara Civic Center 1987 IInd Prize at the Contest «A Poetical House» Bucharest 1990 Ist Prize at the local contest for the Orthodox Cathedral Fabric (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi) 1994 Two mentions at the Bucharest Architecture Biennale 1994 Nomination within the Bucharest Architecture Biennale for the refurbishment of Gold Tim Jewelry Shop in Timi[oara (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi, Ioan Trif) 1995 Special prize granted by «Arhitext» magazine for the work Documentation Center of the Timi[oara Chamber of Commerce (together with architect Adrian Iona[iu) 1995 «Mac Constantinescu» triennial prize (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi) 1996 The prize of the Bucharest International Architecture Biennale Interior architecture: Refurbishment of the Timi[oara Chamber of Commerce (together with Adrian Iona[iu) 1996 The prize of the Bucharest International Architecture Biennale Badea Cår]an Square Timi[oara (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi and Adrian Iona[iu) 1997 Prize granted by ECCS Steel Design Awards for Badea Cår]an Square, Timi[oara (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi, Adrian Iona[iu, Enginner professor V. Gioncu, Enginner V. V`caru, Engineer H. Dürr and engineer R. Essrich) 1998 Performance diploma for completion of the work «Consolidation 28

29 and Restoration of Banloc Castle», awarded by UNRMI National Union of Restorers of Historical Monuments (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi) 1999 Special prize of «Arhitext» magazine for Reghina Hotel, Timi[oara (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi) 1999 The prize «Most complex ArchiCAD project», awarded during the «ArchiCAD Architecture Symposium» for Jumanca House project, Timi[oara (together with F. Konig) 2000 Nomination at the Bucharest Architecture Biennale for Refurbishment Works to the Romtelecom Commercial and Public Relations Agency, Timi[oara (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi) 2000 «Helios» special prize of the Bucharest Architecture Biennale for Refurbishment Works to the Romtelecom Commercial and Public Relations Agency, Timi[oara (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi) 2001 The prize of «Arhitext» magazine, Interior Design section, for Refurbishment Works to the Romtelecom Commercial and Public Relations Agency, Timi[oara (together with Vlad Gaivoronschi) 2005 Nomination of «Arhitext» magazine for Exterior arrangement works «Japanese garden» at the Reghina Hotel, Timi[oara (together with Dan Munteanu) 2006 Prize of OAR Timi[oara Subsidiary for Interior design Star Telefonica Shop, Timi[oara (together with Marius Hår]a and Claudiu Toma) 2007 Nomination at the Festival «Insight / Inside cultures» organized by «Arhitext» magazine in Sibiu for Reghina Hotel 2007 Nomination at the Annual Architecture Event organized in Timi[oara for the Victoria project, Sibiu (together with Dan Munteanu) and for the project Nautical Club and Offices, Timi[oara IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Exhibition Participant in Romanian and foreign exhibitions (Bucure[ti, Cluj, Timi[oara, Salonic, Istanbul, Szeged, Budapesta, Leipzig, Vienna, The Venice Biennale) 29

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31 VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Curriculum vitae IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 1956 N`scut \n Cluj-Napoca, Romånia 1979 Diplom` \n Arhitectur`, Institutul Politehnic «Traian Vuia» Timi[oara, Facultatea de Construc]ii, Sec]ia de Arhitectur` 1982 Diplom` \n Arhitectur`, Universitatea de Arhitectur` «Ion Mincu», Bucure[ti 2000 Doctor cu lucrarea «Matrici ale spa]iului tradi]ional», Universitatea de Arhitectur` «Ion Mincu», Bucure[ti Experien]` profesional` din 1990 Partener principal la S.C. Andreescu & Gaivoronschi SRL Arhitect la I.P.R.O.TIM Timi[oara; autor [i coautor al mai multor proiecte, unele construite, coautor al unor proiecte pentru concursuri interna]ionale Proiectare, realiz`ri Peste 80 de proiecte, inclusiv de concurs, dintre care peste 50 realizate Activitate academic` Conferen]iar la Universitatea «Politehnic`» din Timi[oara, Facultatea de Arhitectur`, titular al cursurilor de Teoria arhitecturii pentru anii II [i III, atelier de proiectare anii III [i V, membru \n comisia de diplom` {ef lucr`ri, Universitatea «Politehnic`» din Timi[oara, Facultatea de Arhitectur` 1992 Profesor asociat pe un semestru la anul I, atelier de proiectare, École d Architecture de Paris Belleville \n cadrul programului TEMPUS \ntre Universitatea de Arhitectur` «Ion Mincu», Bucure[ti, École d Architecture Saint Luc en Vallonie de Liège [i École d Architecture de Paris Belleville 31

32 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban 1990 Asistent, Universitatea «Politehnic`» din Timi[oara, Facultatea de Arhitectur` Premii [i distinc]ii 1981 Premiul II la «Central Glass International Design Competition», Tokyo (cu Florin Colpacci, Ioan Andreescu, Adrian Iona[iu, Claudiu Panaitescu) 1986 Premiul Na]ional al Uniunii Arhitec]ilor din Romånia (cu {erban Sturdza, Ioan Andreescu, Dan Popa, Mihai Botescu, Doru Covrig, Nicolae Bu[il`) Centrul Civic Timi[oara 1988 Premiul Na]ional al Uniunii Arhitec]ilor din Romånia, Imobilul L. S`l`jan, Timi[oara 1990 Premiul I la concursul local pentru Catedrala Ortodox` Fabric (\mpreun` cu Ioan Andreescu) 1993 Nominalizare \n cadrul Concursului Bianual «Arhitext Design», Pandora Shop, Timi[oara 1993 Premiul III la Concursul Na]ional pentru reamenajarea Pie]ei 700, Timi[oara (cu Ioan Andreescu [i Adrian Iona[iu) 1994 Premiul III la Concursul Na]ional pentru Biserica Martirilor, Timi[oara (cu Adrian Iona[iu [i un colectiv de studen]i) 1994 Nominalizare \n cadrul Bienalei de Arhitectur`, Bucure[ti Bijuteria Gold Tim, Timi[oara (cu Ioan Andreescu [i Ioan Trif) 1995 Nominalizare \n cadrul concursului Bianual «Arhitext Design», Casa Fam. Sere, Timi[oara 1995 Premiul Trianual «Mac Constantinescu», Casa Fam. Sere, Timi[oara 1996 Premiul [i Medalia Bienalei de Arhitectur`, Bucure[ti pentru Pia]a Badea Cår]an (cu Ioan Andreescu, Adrian Iona[iu) 1996 Nominalizare \n cadrul Bienalei de Arhitectur` Bucure[ti Hotel Perla 2 (cu Ioan Andreescu) 1997 Premiul ECCS Steel Design Awards pentru Pia]a Badea Cår]an (cu Ioan Andreescu, Adrian Iona[iu, Victor Gioncu) 1997 Nominalizare \n cadrul Concursului «Arhitext Design» Hotel Perla 2 (cu Ioan Andreescu) 1999 Premiul Na]ional al UNRMI pentru proiectul de restaurare [i refunc]ionalizare Ansamblu Conac Banloc (cu Ioan Andreescu) 32

33 1999 Premiul special al revistei «Arhitext» Hotel Reghina (cu Ioan Andreescu) 2000 Nominalizare \n cadrul Bienalei de Arhitectur` Bucure[ti [i Premiul special al firmei «Helios» pentru Amenajarea agen]iei comerciale [i de rela]ii cu publicul Romtelecom (cu Ioan Andreescu) 2001 Premiul «Arhitext» pentru Amenajare agen]ie comercial` [i de rela]ii cu publicul Romtelecom, Timi[oara (cu Ioan Andreescu) 2002 Nominalizare \n cadrul Bienalei de Arhitectur` Bucure[ti pentru cartea Matricile spa]iului tradi]ional Premiul pentru Arhitectur` «Arhitext» pentru Locuin]` Zona Martirilor, Timi[oara 2004 Nominalizare \n cadrul Bienalei de arhitectur` Bucure[ti pentru Locuin]` Zona Martirilor, Timi[oara 2005 Nominalizare pentru Design interior «Arhitext Design» pentru Amenajarea Sediului SC Andreescu & Gaivoronschi 2006 Nominalizare \n cadrul Bienalei de arhitectur` Bucure[ti pentru Hotel Savoy, Timi[oara 2006 Nominalizare la categoria Cel mai bun arhitect pentru anul 2006 \n urma cercet`rii sociologice \ntreprinse de CURS, TNS-CSOP, IMAS [i INSOMAR, reprezentånd opinia arhitec]ilor romåni pentru proiectul «Zece pentru Romånia», realizat de Realitatea TV 2007 Nominalizare \n cadrul Festivalului «Arhitext», Sibiu Hotel Savoy 2007 Premiul de Excelen]` pentru Arhitectur` \n cadrul Anualei de Arhitectur` organizat` de Ordinul Arhitec]ilor, filiala Timi[, pentru Imobil de birouri, comer], servicii City Business Centre, Timi[oara IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Expozi]ii: Participant la expozi]ii \n ]ar` [i str`in`tate (Bucure[ti, Cluj, Timi[oara, Salonic, Istanbul, Szeged, Budapesta, Leipzig, Viena, Bienala de la Vene]ia) 33

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35 VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Curriculum vitae IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 1956 Born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania 1979 University degree in Architecture, «Traian Vuia» Polytechnic Institute, Timi[oara, Faculty of Constructions, Architecture Section 1982 University degree in Architecture, awarded by the «Ion Mincu» University of Architecture, Bucharest 2000 PhD with the thesis «Matrices of traditional space», «Ion Mincu» University of Architecture, Bucharest Professional Experience from 1990 Main partner of S.C. Andreescu & Gaivoronschi SRL Architect at I.P.R.O.TIM Timi[oara; author and co-author of various projects, several materialized, co-author of certain projects for international contests Design activities, achievements Over 80 projects, including competition projects, 50 of which have been materialized Academic activity Principal lecturer with «Politehnica» University, Timi[oara, Faculty of Architecture, permanent professor for the courses Theory of Architecture, IInd and IIIrd year, design workshop, IIIrd and Vth years, member of the university degree commission Senior lecturer with «Politehnica» University, Timi[oara, Faculty of Architecture 1992 Associate Professor for one semester, during the Ist year, in the design workshop, École D architecture de Paris Belleville within the TEMPUS Program concluded between the «Ion Mincu» University of Architecture, Bucharest, École d architecture Saint Luc en Vallonie, 35

36 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space Liège and École d architecture de Paris Belleville 1990 University assistant, «Politehnica» University, Timi[oara, Faculty of Architecture Prizes and distinctions 1981 IInd Prize at the «Central Glass International Design Competition», Tokyo (with Florin Colpacci, Ioan Andreescu, Adrian Iona[iu, Claudiu Panaitescu) 1986 National Prize of the Romanian Architects Union (with {erban Sturdza, Ioan Andreescu, Dan Popa, Mihai Botescu, Doru Covrig, Nicolae Bu[il`) Civic Center Timi[oara 1988 National Prize of the Romanian Architects Union, for the L. S`l`jan building, Timi[oara 1990 Ist Prize at the local contest for the Orthodox Cathedral Fabric (together with Ioan Andreescu) 1993 Nomination within the Biannual «Arhitext Design» Contest, Pandora Shop, Timi[oara 1993 IIIrd Prize at the National Contest for the refurbishment works to 700 Square, Timi[oara (with Ioan Andreescu and Adrian Iona[iu) 1994 IIIrd Prize at the National Contest for Biserica Martirilor (Martyrs Church), Timi[oara (with Adrian Iona[iu and a group of students) 1994 Nomination in the Architecture Biennale, Bucharest Gold Tim Timi[oara Jewelry Shop (with Ioan Andreescu and Ioan Trif) 1995 Nomination in the Biannual contest «Arhitext Design», for the Sere family house, Timi[oara 1995 «Mac Constantinescu» Triennial Prize, for the Sere family house, Timi[oara 1996 The prize and the medal of the Bucharest Architecture Biennale for Badea Cår]an Square (with Ioan Andreescu, Adrian Iona[iu) 1996 Nomination in the Bucharest Architecture Biennale Perla 2 Hotel (with Ioan Andreescu) 1997 ECCS Steel Design Awards Prize for Badea Cår]an Square (with Ioan Andreescu, Adrian Iona[iu, Victor Gioncu) 1997 Nomination within the «Arhitext Design» Contest Perla 2 Hotel (with Ioan Andreescu) 36

37 1999 National Prize of UNRMI for the project of restoring and rendering operational the Banloc Mansion Ensemble (with Ioan Andreescu) 1999 The special prize of «Arhitext» magazine Reghina Hotel (with Ioan Andreescu) 2000 Nomination at the Bucharest Architecture Biennale and the Special Prize awarded by the «Helios» firm for refurbishment works to the Romtelecom Commercial and Public Relations Agency (with Ioan Andreescu) 2001 the «Arhitext Design» Prize for refurbishment works to Romtelecom Timi[oara Commercial and Public Relations Agency (with Ioan Andreescu) 2002 Nomination at the Bucharest Architecture Biennale for the book Matrices of traditional space 2003 «Arhitext Design» Architecture Prize for the Martyrs Area dwelling, Timi[oara 2004 Nomination at the Bucharest Architecture Biennale for the Martyrs Area dwelling, Timi[oara 2005 Nomination for Interior design, from «Arhitext», for Refurbishment of the Headquarters of SC Andreescu & Gaivoronschi 2006 Nomination at the Bucharest Architecture Biennale for Savoy Hotel, Timi[oara 2006 Nomination at the category Best architect for 2006 following the sociological research conducted by CURS, TNS-CSOP, IMAS and INSOMAR, representing the opinion of Romanian architects for the project «Zece pentru Romånia» (Ten for Romania) at Realitatea TV 2007 Nomination within the «Arhitext Design» Festival, Sibiu Savoy Hotel 2007 The Excellence Prize for Architecture at the Annual Architecture Event organized by the Order of Architects, Timi[ Subsidiary for Office, trade, services building Timi[oara City Business Centre IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Exhibition Participant in Romanian and foreign exhibitions (Bucure[ti, Cluj, Timi[oara, Salonic, Istanbul, Szeged, Budapesta, Leipzig, Vienna, The Venice Biennale) 37

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39 De la geam c`tre vitraliu IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Cei ce ne cunosc se vor mira poate, sesizånd în titlul acestei comunic`ri, modul în care ne îndator`m ideilor de felul celor expuse cu atåta concizie de Philip Johnson (1): «Arhitectura nu este tehnologie, nu este inginerie, nu este sociologie, nu este politic`. Arhitectura este art`, art` pur` la fel ca [i pictura, [i muzica, [i, dac` ne mai îndoim înc` de acest lucru, comitem o grav` eroare. Dar orice apropieri sau asem`n`ri nu sunt, parafrazånd, nici voite, nici întåmpl`tor, ci inevitabile». Aceste cuvinte edific` un ultim moment, nu doar al evolu]iei arhitecturii, ci al culturii [i gåndirii contemporane, c`ci, a[a cum sublinia Emil Kaufmann (2), «sistemele depind în întregime de (sau, mai bine spus, deriv` direct din) atitudinea mental` a unei anumite epoci Schimbarea unui sistem nu afecteaz` doar cåteva elemente, ci Întregul». Repetarea unor vocabulare deja folosite face ca perioada actual` s` fie interpretat` ca o perioad` de criz` a arhitecturii, uitåndu-se c`, dac` «formele se repet`, sistemele nu», noi situåndu-ne la tranzi]ia dintre dou` lumi, cea a «Arheologiei» [i cea a «Istoriei», a[a cum Rena[terea înregistra efectele amorsate în perioada greco-roman` de apari]ie a «Istoriei» [i dispari]ia altei lumi, cea a «Mitologiei». «Se va m`sura pr`pastia care separ` cele dou` modalit`]i de experien]e, cea sacr` [i cea profan`, cånd vom descrie spa]iul sacru [i construc]ia ritual` a locuin]ei umane, sau variet`]ile experien]ei religioase ale timpului, sau rela]iile omului religios cu natura [i lumea uneltelor, sau consacrarea vie]ii înse[i a omului [i sacralitatea cu care pot fi înc`rcate func]iile sale vitale (alimenta]ia, sexualitatea, munca, etc.). Va fi suficient s` amintim ce au devenit pentru omul modern [i nereligios cetatea, sau casa, natura, uneltele, sau munca, pentru a 39

40 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban sesiza pe viu deosebirile dintre el [i omul apar]inånd oric`rei societ`]i arhaice sau chiar ]`ranul din Europa cre[tin`. Pentru con[tiin]a modern`, un act fiziologic ca alimenta]ia, sexualitatea etc. nu este nimic mai mult decåt un proces organic Dar pentru «primitivi», un asemenea act nu este niciodat` doar fiziologic; el este, sau poate deveni, o tain`, adic` o comuniune cu sacrul.» (3) C`ci înainte de a putea spune, ca Vitruvius, c` arhitectura este Soliditate, Utilitate, Frumuse]e, ea a fost Imago, proiec]ie [i expresie concret` a ordinii cosmice. Templele egiptene sau marile ansambluri chineze, casa oric`rui om din vechime, edificiile bizantine, sau oricare din ora[ele lumii pån` în vremea Rena[terii, se constituie modest sau luxuriant, fragmentar sau integral, într-o imagine-replic`. Concluzia c` întinderea total` a lumii este finit` (4) (Aristotel) se reg`se[te în structura ora[ului: zidul nu servea doar la ap`rare, el desp`r]ea prefigurarea cosmosului de haos, separa un spa]iu al comunic`rii interumane, al armoniei, de un spa]iu stihial, ambiguu, necontrolat. {i, într-o vreme în care arta [i tehnica se aflau întrupate în acela[i termen (5), nu putem vorbi despre estetic [i despre utilitar altfel, decåt ca fiind supuse simbolicului, a[a cum oamenii [i chiar eroii erau supu[i ursitei [i voin]ei zeilor. Opera de arhitectur` devenea «o transparen]`» c`tre eternitate, «un v`l în spatele c`ruia se afl` sensul» (6). În Gothic Arhitecture and Scholasticism, Erwin Panofsky (7) se refer` direct la practica clarific`rii, care a cunoscut adev`ratul ei triumf în domeniul arhitecturii: «Dup` cum vårsta de aur a scolasticii a fost dominat` de principiul manifestatio, apogeul arhitecturii gotice a fost cum a remarcat Suger înaintea mea dominat de ceea ce poate fi numit principiul transparen]ei» (8). «Acolo unde spiritul umanist cerea un maxim de armonie (în scriere o dic]iune impecabil`, în arhitectur` o propor]ie impecabil`, pe care Vasari regret` atåta c` n-o g`se[te în structurile gotice), spiritul scolastic cerea un maxim de claritate; el accepta [i cerea o clarificare gratuit` a func]iei prin form`, tot a[a cum accepta [i pretindea o clarificare gratuit` a gåndirii prin limbaj.» 40

41 O dat` îns` cu cre[terea nevoii de iluminare în detrimentul transparen]ei, «lumina începe s` se reverse asupra tuturor lucrurilor. Concep]ia despre spa]iu [i timp se schimb`, astfel încåt ele ajung s` fie considerate recipiente vizuale ce trebuie umplute cu obiecte sau activit`]i» (9). O înv`]`tur` de tip scolastic oral este treptat înlocuit` de o filozofie de tip liniar-vizual, generatoare de disocieri [i scizuri; linearitatea cauz`-efect înlocuie[te simultaneitatea vechii filosofii, la fel cum spa]iul plat, uniform [i omogen înlocuie[te spa]iul mozaicat [i timpul neuniform al omului arhaic. Abolirea treptat` a «datului» [i descoperirea devenirii, trecerea dintr-o lume de roluri într-o alta de activit`]i, provocat` de dihotomia dintre spirit [i inim`, a f`cut posibil ca un Vico, un Hegel [i un Marx s` introduc` conceptul de Istorie. Marshall McLuhan (10) ne vorbe[te despre trauma rupturii provocat` de tipar: «În secolul al XVII-lea ne afl`m într-o lume care vorbe[te de aritmetica politic` [i care duce la separarea func]iilor cu un pas mai departe decåt o f`cuse Machiavelli. Dac` Machiavelli putea declara la începutul secolului al XVI-lea c` exist` o regul` pentru afaceri [i alta pentru via]a particular`, el înregistra, de fapt, efectele [i implica]iile cuvåntului tip`rit, care a separat pe scriitor de cititor, pe produc`tor de consumator, pe conduc`tor de cel supus în categorii bine delimitate. Înainte de tipar, aceste func]ii se întrep`trundeau în mare m`sur`, dup` cum scribul, în calitate de produc`tor, era antrenat în citire, iar studentul era antrenat în întocmirea c`r]ilor pe care le studia». {tiin]a se desparte de art` [i religie; tiparul înlocuie[te manuscrisul, polifonia înlocuie[te vechea linie monodic`, iar arhitectura gotic` devine «barbar`» pentru omul nou al Rena[terii. Lewis Mumford (11) ne arat` în Sticks and Stones ce s-a întåmplat cu arhitectura în vremea lui Newton: «În Notre Dame, Victor Hugo spune c` tiparni]a a distrus arhitectura, care pån` atunci fusese cronica în piatr` a omenirii. Dar adev`rata fapt` rea a tiparni]ei n-a fost c` a lipsit arhitectura de valorile literare, ci c` a f`cut arhitectura s`-[i trag` propria ei valoare din literatur`. O dat` cu Rena[terea, marea deosebire modern` dintre alfabetiza]i [i IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 41

42 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban nealfabetiza]i s-a extins chiar [i asupra cl`dirilor; me[terul zidar care î[i cunoa[te pietrele, calfele, uneltele [i tradi]iile artei sale, a cedat locul arhitectului, care îl studiase pe Palladio, Vignola [i Vitruvius. Arhitectura, în loc s` se str`duiasc` s` lase amprenta unui gånd inspirat pe suprafe]ele cl`dirii, a devenit o simpl` chestiune de precizie gramatical` [i de pronun]ie, iar arhitectura secolului al XVII-lea, care s-a revoltat împotriva acestui regim, creånd Barocul, [i-a aflat locul numai în parcurile [i teatrele principilor». «Datorit` c`r]ii, întreaga arhitectur` a secolului al XVIII-lea, de la St. Petersburg pån` la Philadelphia, ne pare z`mislit` de aceea[i minte.» Nivelul simbolic, nivel generator, a fost astfel abolit de o anume devenire a civiliza]iei europene, c`ci Rena[terea, descoperind Pompeiul, redescoperea, de fapt, efectele unui mod de gåndire dual; ea tr`ie[te ambivalent în culturi distincte [i opuse care trec una pe lång` alta f`r` s` se ciocneasc`, îns` nu f`r` s` î[i schimbe configura]ia. {i iat` c` poate tocmai o asemenea «interfacialitate» este adev`rata cheie a în]elegerii Rena[terii, a[a cum coexisten]a este cheia în]elegerii secolului nostru. Dar extragerea doar a unor componente, printr-o metod` care omite, asemenea lui Procust, lucrurile ce nu-i convin, nu este doar gre[it`, ci chiar periculoas` (12). Pentru c` în vremea Rena[terii, omul, asociat la formele geometrice simple, simboliza o structur` universal`, principiul de armonie [i de propor]ie comun omului, arhitecturii [i lumii (13), iar Versailles-ul nu este altceva decåt unul din ultimele întårziate edificii simbolice, ale c`rui axe [i propor]ii exprim` intui]ii cosmice. Prevalen]a palierului estetic s-a exprimat îns`, cel mai adesea, prin împrumuturi formale sau compozi]ionale de la alte culturi din trecut, iar reu[ita în art` depindea acum, înainte de orice, de for]a artistului, c`ci nemaifiind «Imago», opera devine crea]ie demiurgic`. Originalitatea, ineditul, sau pur [i simplu abilitatea de a combina a artistului, devin singurele criterii ale valorii. «c`ci oamenii au început s` caute mai degrab` cuvintele decåt problemele, mai degrab` perfec]iunea expresiei, rotunjimea 42

43 [i claritatea perioadelor, c`derea lin` a frunzelor [i varietatea de tropi [i de imagini ce ilustreaz` operele lor, decåt greutatea ideilor, valoarea subiectului, puterea argumentelor, vivacitatea inspira]iei sau profunzimea judec`]ii.» (14) Iar mi[carea modern`, într-o ultim` neputin]` de a implanta în realul dezgolit de sens, imaginea «cet`]ii ideale», celebreaz` noii zei ai unei ere profane, ritmuri [i armonii ma[iniste. {i nu este inten]ia noastr` aici [i acum de a-i sonda rolul [i meritele, ci de a consemna sfår[itul unui mod de a gåndi, bazat pe devenire [i sens, [i înlocuirea lui cu un altul, bazat pe profitabilitate [i în]elesuri: «orientarea recent` a gåndirii fizice (dup` cum va rezulta din ceea ce s-a spus despre principiul cauzalit`]ii) înclin` spre p`rerea c` în domeniul fizicii exist` o succesiune continu` de intruziuni noi sau de crea]ii noi. Universul este foarte departe de a fi o simpl` consecin]` matematic` a felului cum au fost dispuse particulele în momentul Genezei [i este un loc mult mai interesant [i plin de evenimente decåt î[i închipuie orice determinist» (15). Ne g`sim acum într-o lume în care disocierea func]iilor tinde c`tre spargere, «o epoc` în care scizura dintre minte, materie [i suflet (pentru a folosi termenii lui Dante) a devenit atåt de absolut`, încåt presim]im r`sturnarea lor» (16). Pe fondul completei separ`ri dintre func]ional, estetic [i simbolic, asist`m ast`zi la retragerea arhitecturii din contextul sociologic [i ambiental, cu inten]ia de a reveni art` pur`, suit` «într-un turn de filde[, înconjurat de o aur` a extazului [i a nelini[tii» (17). Iar încercarea de a defini aceast` perioad` de tranzi]ie prin termenul de «post-modernism», sau prin orice alt termen ce ar presupune un stil anume, este element de continuitate la [irul întrerupt de mi[carea modern`; faza actual`, «a vitraliului» metaforic vorbind, este caracterizat` prin coexisten]a diferitelor limbaje arhitecturale: de la limbajul arhitecturii moderne, dezgolit de func]iile de odinioar` (Richard Meier, etc.), la eclectisme de tot felul (Venturi, Craves, etc.), de la formalismul abstract a lui Peter Eisenman, ca o culme a autonomiei limbajului, la abord`ri istorice sau tipologice. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 43

44 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban «Vitraliul» înseamn`, de fapt, «textul ca proprie textur`» (18). Am schi]at, astfel, un drum al arhitecturii raportat la cel al evolu]iei gåndirii. Dar, din perspectiva actual`, putem vedea [i un altul; cel al limbajului arhitectural specific: [i acest lucru este normal într-o perioad` de reconsiderare a tradi]iei [i istoriei. Chiar dac` cuno[tin]ele arhitec]ilor sunt îns` fragmentare în redescoperirea trecutului, opera lor fiind «un gen de istoricism profan, care nu posed` nici pe departe siguran]a [i eficacitatea sintetic` a tradi]iilor pe care încearc` s` le respecte» (19), ei nu pot avea succes tocmai în conferirea vechiului statut privilegiat pe care-l avea arhitectura; aceasta presupune, de fapt, recå[tigarea unei metode de operare tipice acestui limbaj, care acum se dore[te autonom (decora]iune, propor]ie, compozi]ie); [i cine [tie, dac` nu cumva noua tehnologie (holografia, microprocesoarele) nu va fi cea care va permite exerci]iul, «vorbirea arhitecturii», într-o societate avid` de noi experien]e [i iluzii (20). Dar, dac` arhitectura ca art` înseamn` redobåndirea unei metode proprii de operare cu limbajul ei specific, ea presupune, de asemenea, sondarea incon[tientului la nivelul originilor limbajului. Este oare afirma]ia lui Philip Johnson reac]ionar`, a[a cum sunt unii tenta]i s` o categoriseasc`? Credem c` nu. Pentru c`, doar r`spunzånd în mod corespunz`tor întreb`rilor cu privire la esen]a arhitecturii ca art`, se va putea apoi da r`spunsul cu privire la esen]a ei ca tehnic` sau ca altceva. C`ci ea, la fel ca omul, se afl` într-o a[ezare nepotrivit` fa]` de tehnic` (21). Retragerea arhitecturii nu este un punct final. Ea este necesar` în vederea unei reveniri. Aceast` revenire în sfera socialului nu este posibil` decåt pe un drum diferit de cel al angaj`rii în realitatea dezgolit` [i poate apropriat de cel al vremurilor cånd arta se întrupa cu tehnica, dar no]iunea de «Umanism» era necunoscut` oamenilor. Astfel, în]elesurile oferite de arhitect le-ar dep`[i pe cele dorite de comanda social`. Poeticul trebuie s` str`bat` arta arhitecturii, «aducånd în sfera frumosului tot ceea ce fiin]eaz` în chip esen]ial» (22). 44

45 Note: 1. Interviu ap`rut în «Casabella», nr. 468, anul Emil Kaufmann, Architecture in the Age of Reason, Baltimore, 1960, p Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Prophane, pp Edmund Whittaker scrie în Space and Spirit (p. 79): «Aristotel considera locul unui corp ca fiind definit de suprafa]a interioar` a unui corp care îl con]ine: corpurile care nu sunt con]inute în alte corpuri nu se afl` nic`ieri [i, de aceea, primul, sau cel mai exterior cer nu se afl` nic`ieri; spa]iul [i timpul nu exist` dincolo de el. Aristotel ajunge aici la concluzia c` întinderea total` a universului este finit`». 5. τεχνη nu înseamn` pentru greci nici art`, nici me[te[ug, ci: «a l`sa cutare sau cutare lucru s` apar` într-un fel sau altul în sånul a ceea ce este prezent». τεχνη, care trebuie gåndit` astfel, se ascunde înc` din antichitate în caracterul tectonic al arhitecturii. Martin Heidegger, Originea operei de art`, p. 160, Construire, locuire, gåndire. 6. Roland Barthes, (Theorie du) Texte, «Secolul XX» nr. 8,9,10 / 1981 p Erwin Panofsky, Gothic Architecture and Scholasticism, pp Origen: «cunoa[terea divinit`]ii a fost dat` pu]inilor ale[i Litera apare ca fiind carne, dar sensul ei spiritual este cunoscut ca divinitate. De aceasta ne d`m seama cånd studiem Leviticul Binecuvånta]i sunt ochii care v`d spiritul Domnului dincolo de v`lul literelor». 9. Marshall McLuhan, Galaxia Gutenberg, Bucure[ti, 1975, p. 183: «În epoca manuscrisului, cånd vizualul se afla într-o rela]ie mai stråns` cu audio-tactilul, spa]iul nu era un recipient vizual.» 10. «Într-o cas` medieval`, aproape c` nu existau mobile», cum ne-o arat` Siegfried Giedion în Mechanisation Takes Command (p. 301): «{i totu[i a existat un confort medieval. Dar el trebuie c`utat în alt` dimensiune, pentru c` el nu poate fi m`surat cu criterii materiale. Satisfac]ia [i pl`cerea care constituiau confortul medieval î[i aveau originea în configura]ia spa]iului. Confortul este atmosfera cu care omul se înconjoar` [i în care tr`ie[te. Ca [i no]iunea medieval` de Împ`r`]ia Domnului, el este ceva ce nu poate fi apucat cu måinile. Confortul medieval este un confort spa]ial. O înc`pere medieval` face o impresie de finit, chiar dac` este lipsit` de mobil`. Ea nu este niciodat` goal`. Catedral`, sal` de mese, sau odaie într-o cas` burghez`, ea tr`ie[te în propor]iile sale, în materialele sale, în forma sa. Acest sens al demnit`]ii spa]iului nu s-a pierdut o dat` cu sfår[itul Evului Mediu. El a supravie]uit pån` ce industrialismul secolului al XIX-lea a tocit sim]urile.», Marshall McLuhan, Galaxia Gutenberg, Bucure[ti, 1975, p Lewis Mumfors, Sticks and Stones, pp Antonio Albici, Birocra]ia absolutului: strategia de st`pånire prin omitere a realului, Colocviu interdisciplinar, Ia[i, Noiembrie, Alberti expune doctrina general` ce orånduie[te opera de art` pe baza edificiului cosmic. 14. Ideea «textului ca proprie textur`» a lui Roland Barthes apare de timpuriu la Francis Bacon în The Advancement of Learning, p Edmund Whittaker, Space and Spirit, p Paolo Milano, într-o prezentare a lui Dante publicului englez, Marshall McLuhan, Galaxia Gutenberg, p Ada Louise Huxtable, articol în revista «Newsweek», Roland Barthes, (Theorie du) Texte, «Sec. XX» nr. 8, 9, 10 din 1981 «Orice text e o nou` între]esere de mai vechi citate fragmente de coduri, modele ritmice, cit`ri incon[tiente sau automate f`cute f`r` ghilimele». 19. Ada Louise Huxtable, articol în revista «Newsweek», Iluzia vremurilor trecute con]ine iluzia sacrului (Kahn, Isozaki, Mozuna Monta), IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 45

46 aceasta într-un moment cånd se supun din nou interoga]iilor o serie întreag` de mituri ale secolelor trecute: «Umanismul a fost un mod de a rezolva în termeni morali, de valoare, de reconciliere, probleme care nu puteau fi deloc rezolvate. Cunoa[te]i ce spune Marx? Umanitatea nu-[i pune decåt probleme, pe care le poate rezolva. Cred c` am putea spune: umanismul se preface c` rezolv` probleme pe care nu [i le poate pune Problemele raporturilor omului cu lumea, problema realit`]ii, problema crea]iei artistice, a fericirii, [i toate obsesiile care nu merit` deloc s` fie probleme teoretice», Michel Foucault, «Sec. XX» nr. 5 / Marshall McLuhan se refer` la «retribalizare» [i «sat global» în era electronic` Galaxia Gutenberg: «poat` s` apar` ziua cånd, prin tot ce e de ordinul tehnicului, esen]a tehnicii s` înceap` s` str`bat` [i s` fiin]eze în revelarea proprie adev`rului», Martin Heidegger, Originea operei de art`, cap. «Întrebare privitoare la tehnic`», p Martin Heidegger, Originile operei de art`, cap. «În chip poetic locuie[te omul pe p`månt», p Vlad Gaivoronschi / Ioan Andreescu / Alexandru Florin Colpacci / Adrian Iona[iu (Text prezentat \n cadrul Seminarului Interna]ional de Arhitectur`, Bucure[ti, 1982)

47 From Ordinary to Stained Glass IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Those who know us will probably be surprised by this title showing how much we are indebted to ideas such as those presented so concisely by Philip Johnson (1): «Architecture is not technology, is not engineering, is not sociology is not politics. Architecture is art, pure art, just like painting and music, and if we still doubt this, we are making a serious mistake. Any resemblances or similarities are, to resort to a paraphrase, neither intentional, nor accidental, they are inevitable». These words attest to a final moment, not just in the evolution of architecture, but also in that of contemporary culture and thinking, because, as Emil Kaufmann emphasized (2) «the systems wholly depend on (or rather directly derive from) the mental attitude of a specific era The change of a system does not affect only several elements, but the Whole itself». Due to the repetition of vocabularies already used, the current period is interpreted as a period of crisis in architecture, but it is forgotten that if «forms repeat, systems don t»; we are going through a transition period between two worlds, that of «Archeology» and that of «History», just like the Renaissance captured the effects triggered in the Greek-Roman period when «History» emerged and another world, «Mythology», disappeared. «The abyss between the two experimentation modalities, the sacred and the profane, will be measured when we have described the sacred space and the ritual construction of the human dwelling or the varieties of religious experiencing of time or the relations of the religious man with nature and the world of tools or the very dedication of man s life and the sacredness which may accompany his vital functions (nourishment, sexuality, work etc.). It will be sufficient to evoke what his city or his house, nature, 47

48 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space his tools or his labor have become for the modern, non-religious man, in order to notice right away the differences between him and the man belonging to any archaic society or even the peasant in Christian Europe. To the modern conscience, a physiological act like nourishment, sexuality etc. is nothing more than an organic process However, for «primitives», such an act is never just physiological; it is or may become a mystery, namely, a communion with the sacred.» (3) Before daring to say, like Vitruvius, that architecture is Solidity, Utility, Beauty, it was Imago, projection and specific expression of the cosmic order. Egyptian temples or the large Chinese centers, the house of any ancient man, Byzantine edifices or any of the world s cities until the Renaissance assert themselves in a modest or luxurious, fragmentary or unified fashion, as an image-reply. The conclusion that the entire extent of the world is finite (4) (Aristotle) can be traced in the structure of the city: the wall did not serve only for defense purposes, it also separated the organized cosmos from chaos, the space of inter-human communication and harmony from a stormy, ambiguous, uncontrolled space. At a time when art and technique were embodied in the same term (5), we can refer to aesthetic and useful things only to the extent that they are subject to the symbolic, just like people and even heroes were subject to fate and gods will. The architectural work became a «transparency» towards eternity, a «veil behind which there was meaning» (6). In Gothic Arhitecture and Scholasticism, Erwin Panofsky (7) refers directly to the practice of clarification, which knew its real triumph in the field of architecture: «Just like the golden age of scholastics was dominated by the manifestatio principle, the acme of Gothic architecture was as Suger remarked before me dominated by what can be referred to as the principle of transparency» (8). «Where the humanist spirit required maximum harmony (impeccable accuracy of the written word, impeccable proportions in architecture whose lack from the Gothic constructions is so much regretted by Vasari), the scholastic spirit required maximum clarity; it accepted and demanded a gratuitous clarification of the function 48

49 through form, just like it accepted and demanded a gratuitous clarification of thinking through language.» However, as the need for illumination grows to the detriment of transparency, «light is gradually cast on all things. The theories on space and time change, and they finally come to be considered as visual receptacles which must be filled with objects or activities» (9). A scholastic-oral type of teaching is gradually replaced by a philosophy of a linear-visual type, generator of dissociations and fissures; the cause-effect linearity replaces the simultaneity of the ancient philosophy, just like the flat, uniform and homogeneous space replaces the mosaic-like space and the non-uniform time of the archaic man. The gradual eradication of the «datum» and discovery of becoming, the transition from a world of roles to a world of activities, caused by the spirit-heart dichotomy, made possible the emergence of a Vico, Hegel and Marx, who introduced the concept of History. Marshall McLuhan (10) talks about the traumatic rupture caused by printing: «In the XVIIth century we are in a world which talks about political arithmetic and brings about a further separation of the functions as compared to what Machiavelli had done». When Machiavelli stated, at the beginning of the XVIth century, that «there is one rule for business and another one for private life», he was actually registering the effects and implications of the written word, which had separated the writer from the reader, the producer from the consumer, the leader from the governed into precise categories. Before printing, such functions were inter-related to a large extent, just like the scribe, as producer, was engaged in reading, and the student was engaged in the drafting of the books he had studied. Science becomes separated from art and religion; printing replaces manuscript, polyphony replaces the former monodic line, and Gothic architecture becomes «barbarian» for the new Renaissance man. Lewis Mumford (11) shows us, in Sticks and Stones, what happened with architecture in Newton s time: «In Notre Dame, Victor Hugo says that the printing machine had destroyed IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 49

50 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space architecture, which until then had been mankind s chronicle in stone. However, the real evil committed by the printing machine was not that it deprived architecture from literary values, but that it caused it to derive its own value from literature. When the Renaissance came, the great modern difference between the literate and the illiterate expanded even in the construction field; the master mason who knows his stones, apprentices, tools and the customs of his craft gave way to the architect acquainted with Palladio, Vignola and Vitruvius. Instead of endeavoring to leave the impression of an inspired thought on the surface of the building, architecture became a simple matter of grammatical precision and diction, and the architecture of the XVIIth century, which stood up against this regime creating the Baroque, found a place for itself only in parks and princes theatres». «Because of books, the entire architecture created in the XVIIIth century, from St. Petersburg to Philadelphia, appears to us to have been the product of the same mind.» The symbolic, generating level was thus abolished by a certain becoming of European civilization, because the Renaissance, when discovering Pompeii, actually rediscovered the effects of a way of thinking; it lived a double life in distinct and opposing cultures which passed each other by without colliding, but not without altering each other. This very «two-face living» may be the key to understanding Renaissance, as coexistence may be the key to understanding our century. However, the extraction of certain particular components through a method which leaves out, like that of Procrustes, things that are not to its liking, is not only wrong, it is also dangerous (12). Because in Renaissance days man associated to simple geometric forms symbolized a universal structure, the principle of harmony and proportion common to man, architecture and the world (13), and Versailles is but one of the late symbolical edifices the axes and proportions of which express cosmic intuitions. The prevalence of the aesthetic component, however, was best expressed through formal or compositional borrowings from other past cultures, and success in art depended now, before anything 50

51 else, on the artist s force, because, since there was no more «Imago», the work became a demiurgic creation. Originality, unusualness, or the sheer ability to combine evinced by the artist become the only criterion of value. «because man began to look for words rather than problems, for a perfection of expression, a roundness and clarity of periods, a smooth fall of leaves and the variety of tropes and images illustrating their works, rather than for weighty ideas, the value of the topic, the power of arguments, the vivacity of inspiration or the profoundness of judgment» (14). And the modern movement, in a last powerless attempt to implement, in the reality devoid of meaning, the image of the «ideal fortress», celebrates the new gods of a profane era, machinist rhythms and harmonies. It is not our intention to examine its role and merits, but to note the end of a way of thinking based on becoming and aim, and its replacement with another one, based on profitability and meanings: «the recent orientation of thinking in Physics (as revealed by what has been said on the causality principle) inclines towards the opinion that in Physics there is a continuous succession of new intrusions or new creations. The universe is far from being a mere mathematical coincidence of the manner in which particles were arranged at the time of genesis and is a much more interesting and eventful place than any determinist can imagine» (15). We are now living in a world in which the dissociation of functions leads to rupture, «an era in which the fissure between mind, matter and soul (in Dante s terms) has become so radical, that we can foresee their fall» (16). Against a background of total separation between the functional, the aesthetic and the symbolic, we are currently witnessing the withdrawal of architecture from the sociological context and the ambiance, with the intention to become again pure art, in its «ivory tower, surrounded by an aura of ecstasy and unrest» (17). And the attempt to define this transition period by the term «post-modernism» or any other term which would imply a particular style is an element of continuity of the line interrupted by the modern movement; the current stage of the «stained glass», in IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 51

52 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space metaphorical terms, is characterized by the coexistence of various architectural languages: from the language of modern architecture, deprived of its former functions (Richard Meier, etc.) to eclecticism of any kind (Venturi, Craves, etc.), from the abstract formalism of Peter Eisenman as an acme of language autonomy to historicism or typological approaches. «Stained glass» means in fact the «text as its own texture» (18). We have thus outlined the evolution of architecture in relation to that of thinking. From the current perspective, we can see another evolution, i.e. of the specific architectural language, which is normal in a period when both tradition and history are reconsidered. Even if the knowledge held by architects is fragmentary when it comes to rediscovering the past, their work being «a sort of profane historicism which does not possess by far the safety and synthetic efficiency of the traditions they are trying to observe» (19), they cannot be successful precisely when it comes to conferring upon architecture its former privileged status. This would actually require to appropriate again a method of operation typical for this language, which nowadays wishes to be autonomous (decoration, proportion, composition); and, who knows, maybe the new technology itself (holography, microprocessors) will enable the exercise, the «debate on architecture», in a society eager for new experiences and illusions (20). While architecture as art means to recover its own method of using its specific language, it also means to probe the unconscious down to the origins of language. Is Philip Johnson s statement reactionary, as some may be tempted to describe it? In our opinion, it is not. Because it is only by providing adequate answers to the questions on the essence of architecture as art that we can then offer the answer as to its essence as technique or something else. Because architecture, just like man, is inappropriately placed with respect to technique (21). The withdrawal of architecture is not a final point. It is necessary in order for it to come back. This come back in the social 52

53 sphere is not possible unless it happens away from any engagement in the empty reality, and possibly in a closer relation to those times when art was merging with technique, and people were not acquainted with the notion of «Humanism». Thus, the meanings provided by the architect would exceed those favored by the ruling social class. The poetic should imbue the art of architecture, «bringing in the scope of beauty everything that exists in an essential fashion» (22). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Notes: 1. Interview published in «Casabella», no. 468, Emil Kaufmann, Architecture in the Age of Reason, Baltimore, 1960, p Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Prophane, pp Edmund Whittaker writes in Space and Spirit (p. 79): «Aristotle believed that the place of an object is defined by the inner surface of another object containing it; the objects that are not contained in other objects do not exist anywhere and therefore the first or the outermost sky does not exist anywhere; space and time do not exist beyond it. Thus Aristotle draws the conclusion that the entire extent of the universe is finite». 5. «τεχνη for Greeks means neither art, nor craft, but to let any thing appear one way or the other in the midst of what is present. τεχνη, which has to be regarded as such, is hidden from the ancient times in the tectonic character of architecture.», Martin Heidegger, Originea operei de art` ½The Origin of the Work of Art¹, p. 160, «Construire, locuire, gåndire» ½Construction, habitation, thinking¹. 6. Roland Barthes, (Theorie du) Texte, «Sec. XX» no. 8, 9, 10 / 1981 p Erwin Panofsky, Gothic Architecture and Scholasticism, pp Origen: «the acquaintance with the divinity has been afforded to the chosen few Letter appears as flesh, but its spiritual meaning is known as divinity. We become aware of it when we study the Book of Leviticus Blessed are the eyes who see the spirit of God beyond the veil of the letters». 9. Marshall McLuhan, Galaxia Gutenberg ½Gutenberg Galaxy¹, Bucharest, 1975, p. 183: «In the manuscript era, when the visual was in a closer relationship with the senses of touch and hearing, the space was not a visual receptacle». 10. «There was almost no furniture in a medieval house», as shown by Siegfried Giedion in Mechanisation takes Command (p. 301): «and still, there was a medieval comfort. However, it has to be sought in another dimension, because it cannot be measured according to material criteria. The satisfaction and pleasure that formed medieval comfort originated in the configuration of the space. Comfort is the ambiance with which man surrounds himself and in which he lives. Like the medieval Kingdom of God notion, it is something that cannot be grabbed with both hands. Medieval comfort is spatial comfort. A medieval room leaves the impression of finite even if it has no furniture. It is never empty. Whether it is a cathedral, a refectory or a room in a bourgeois house, it lives in its proportions, in its materials, in its form. This sense of dignity of the space was not lost at the end of the Middle Ages, it survived until XIXth century industrialism wore out all senses.», Marshall McLuhan, Galaxia Gutenberg, Bucharest, 1975, p Lewis Mumfors, Sticks and Stones, pp Antonio Albici, The Bureaucracy of the Absolute: the Strategy of Controlling by 53

54 Omitting Reality, Interdisciplinary colloquium, Iasi, November, Alberti presents the general doctrine which explains the work of art on the basis of the cosmic edifice. 14. Roland Barthes idea of «the text as its own texture» was first set forth by Francis Bacon in The Advancement of Learning, p Edmund Whittaker, Space and Spirit, p Paolo Milano, in a presentation of Dante before an English audience, Marshall McLuhan, Galaxia Gutenberg, p Ada Louise Huxtable, article in «Newsweek», Roland Barthes, (Theorie du) Texte, «Sec. XX», no. 8,9,10 of 1981 «Any text is a new inter-connection of older quotes fragments of rhythmical codes, models, inconsistent or automatic quotations made without placing the quotation marks». 19. Ada Louise Huxtable, article in «Newsweek», The illusion of times past contains the illusion of the sacred (Kahn, Isozaki, Mozuna Monta), this, at a time when several myths of past centuries are being placed again under debate: «Humanism was a modality of solving in moral terms of value and reconciliation issues which simply could not be solved. Do you know what Marx said? Mankind only raises issues for itself that it can solve. I think we might say: humanism feigns to be solving issues that it cannot raise for itself Such issues as man s relation to the world, the issue of reality, the issue of artistic creation, of happiness, and all the obsessions which do not deserve to be called theoretical issues», Michel Foucault, «Sec. XX» no. 5 / Marshall McLuhan refers to «re-tribalization» and to the «global village» in the electronic era Galaxia Gutenberg: «that day may come when the essence of technique will start to imbue everything pertaining to the technical, and will exist there in as revelatory a state as only truth can evince», Martin Heidegger, Originea operei de art`, the chapter «Întrebare privitoare la tehnic`» ½A Question on Technique¹, p Martin Heidegger, Originea operei de art`, the chapter «În chip poetic locuie[te omul pe p`månt» ½Man s Poetical Habitation on Earth¹, p Vlad Gaivoronschi / Ioan Andreescu / Alexandru Florin Colpacci / Adrian Iona[iu Translation: Claudia Rada (The text was initially presented during The International Architectural Seminar, Bucharest, 1982)

55 Despre Muzeul Arhitecturii Extras din textul explicativ al proiectului IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Muzeul este copilul epocii moderne. G`sim \n el caracteristicile [i structurile acestei perioade: liniaritate, repeti]ie, reprezentarea progresului la nesfår[it \n plan orizontal, credin]` ferm` \n cauzalitate [i succesiune, ordine [i clasificare \n grila spa]ial` monoton` [i uniform`. Pornind de la aceast` matrice, evolu]ia muzeului de arhitectur` a cunoscut trei direc]ii paralele: cl`direa narativ`, ilustrånd prin propria-i materialitate existen]a \ntr-o secven]` cauzal` a stilurilor; expozi]ia \n aer liber o gr`din` a ra]iunii; cl`direa muzeu, adunånd \n spa]ii neutre colec]ii halucinante de fragmente, acesta fiind de fapt, \n modul cel mai explicit, modelul absolut al oric`rui muzeu: Galeria ma[inilor. ½ ¹ Noile tehnologii (computer, lasere, holograme) permit op]iuni libere \n cadrul structurilor existente, f`cåndu-ne s` p`r`sim limit`rile cauzalit`]ii lineare [i a clasific`rilor rigide. O sfer` universal` a imaginarului se na[te. Ceea ce p`rea nu demult o metafor` (ex. muzeul imaginar al lui Malraux) poate deveni o realitate, o sfer` omniprezent`, dar care poate fi particular` \n spa]iul real al fiec`ruia (El. Aleph), \n care existen]ele fiin]eaz` datorit` noilor rela]ii. Arhitectura poate deveni imaterial`, dar efectiv`, invadat` de imaginar. Judecånd declinul categoriilor, muzeul arhitecturii \nsu[i se va dematerializa, devenind o metafor`. Noile instrumente [i folosirea lor exist`, dar la fel ca [i primele ma[ini ale erei industriale, ele sunt \nc` tributare vechilor structuri. La fel ca [i \n vremea lui Pappin, cånd a inventat ma[ina cu aburi, nimeni nu-[i putea imagina arhitectura lui Le Corbusier sau muzica dodecafonic`, la fel noi nu 55

56 putem acum decåt s` intuim configura]ia \n limbaje new wave. Ceva de netradus \n limbaje actuale, marcånd limitele ra]iunii civiliza]iei noastre urmeaz` s` prind` contur. ½ ¹ Ioan Andreescu / Vlad Gaivoronschi / Florin Colpacci (Publicat \n catalogul «Stichting Architektuur Musea», p. 43, 1983)

57 On the Architecture Museum Excerpt from the explanatory text of the project IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI The museum is the offspring of the modern era. We discover there the characteristics and structures of this particular age: linearity, repetition, the representation of progress of an infinitely horizontal plane, the firm belief in causality and succession, in order and classification into a spatial, monotonous and uniform spatial grid. Starting from this matrix, the evolution of the architecture museum has followed three parallel paths: the narrative building, which illustrates through its own materiality the existence in a causal sequence of styles; the open-air exhibition a garden of reason; the museum building, which reunites in neutral spaces hallucinatory collections of fragments, this being actually, in the most explicit fashion, the absolute model of any museum: The Gallery of machines. ½ ¹ The new technologies (computers, lasers, holograms) afford free options within the existing structures, causing us to leave the limitations of linear causality and rigid classifications. A universal sphere of the imaginary is coming into being. What seemed not so long ago to be a metaphor (for instance Malraux s imaginary museum) can turn into reality, an omnipresent sphere which can become private in each person s real space (El. Aleph), in which the existences are due to new relations. Architecture can become immaterial, but actual, invaded by the imaginary. Considering the decline of categories, the museum of architecture itself will dematerialize, becoming a metaphor. The new instruments and the uses made thereof have actual existence, but, just like the first machines of the industrial era, they owe a lot to old structures. Just as in the time of Pappin, the inventor of the steam engine, 57

58 nobody could imagine Le Corbusier s architecture or dodecaphonic music, the same way we nowadays can only guess the configuration in new wave languages. Something impossible to translate into current languages, marking the limits of the reason of our civilization, is about to take shape. ½ ¹ Ioan Andreescu / Vlad Gaivoronschi / Florin Colpacci Translation: Claudia Rada (Published in the «Stichting Architektuur Musea» catalogue, p. 43, 1983)

59 O succesiune discutat` Pe marginea unei expozi]ii de arhitectur` post-modern` la Timi[oara IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 1. Construc]ia ora[ului sau nostalgia continuit`]ii Semnifica]ia acestei expozi]ii poate p`rea greu de atins unora, dar se contureaz` limpede \n contextul mai larg al transform`rilor prin care trece arhitectura contemporan`. Modestia acestei «\ncerc`ri», acestei colec]ii de \nfirip`ri [i fragmente ale unei atitudini post-moderne este totu[i emo]ionant`. La 19 ani de la apari]ia c`r]ii Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture de R. Venturi, prim jalon al devenirilor recente, la 13 ani de la primele proiecte ale fra]ilor Krier «Echternach», «Royal Mint Square», la 11 ani de la restaurarea Bologniei, la un an de la expozi]ia «Tradi]ii de construc]ie urban`», Bucure[ti, [i cu un an \naintea unei triumfale expozi]ii I.B.A (Internationale Bauaesstellung) Berlin 1984 rezultat a cinci ani de eforturi considerabile, «pe viu» (exponatele vor fi cartiere \ntregi ref`cute), aceast` modest` expozi]ie timi[orean` \[i g`se[te locul \ntr-un dialog [i pozi]ia \ntr-o configura]ie. De ce Timi[oara? Pentru c` acest ora[ este unic \n Romånia, adev`rata paradigm` a evolu]iei urbane europene \n ultimele dou` secole; pentru c` este un ora[ a c`rui structur` face posibil` aplicarea f`r` traduceri sau echival`ri a conceptelor [i metodelor contemporane de analiz`. Tr`im de cå]iva ani realitatea ce-i drept, mai mult teoretic` a urbanismului post-modern. O rocad` m`rturise[te despre noile posibilit`]i, conceptul iluminist «spatium in extenso» a fost \nlocuit cu heideggerianul «Raum». Calit`]ile pre]ioase ale subtilului concept de «loc» au fost c`utate \n analiza ora[elor pre-moderne; astfel s-a n`scut imaginea \nc`rcat` de nostalgie a ceea ce ar trebui s` fie noul ora[ ideal. n primul rånd, ora[ul trebuie s` fie finit, c`ci f`r` de limit` \[i 59

60 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban pierde semnifica]ia nu numai cultural`, dar [i civilizatorie, condamnånd arta arhitecturii la neputin]a haosului [i fragment`rii. Ora[ul trebuie s` fie coerent, lizibil compus din elemente tradi]ionale: str`zi, pie]e, blocuri urbane. Spa]iul urban dup` clasificarea lui Lincourt trebuie s` fie pozitiv, adic` deschis, excavat \n ]esutul compact al cl`dirilor [i nu negativ, rezidual \ntre obiecte plantate \ntåmpl`tor (de ex., un cartier de blocuri). Domeniul public s` fie limpede separat de cel privat, se va evita zonificarea, ora[ul prezentåndu-se ca un colaj de func]iuni [i structuri vizuale pe o tram` fix`. Folosirea vocabularului urban tradi]ional \nchis (str`zi, blocuri [i pie]e \n re]ea), departe de a fi o från`, se dovede[te prin exemplul ora[elor istorice extrem de flexibil`. Ce altceva decåt flexibilitate este independen]a ]esutului de case fa]` de grila urban`, dialectica fascinant` a varia]iei edificiului [i fa]adei fa]` de stabilitatea [i coeren]a compozi]iei urbane? nainte de toate, o lege sever` guverneaz` continuitatea ora[ului tradi]ional. Cum arat` Aldo Rossi (L architettura dellà città, 1966), o anumit` morfologie urban` se poate realiza doar prin folosirea unor tipuri istoric determinate de cl`diri. Descoperirea strånsei leg`turi a arhitecturii cu urbanismul l-a dus pe Rossi, ca [i pe arhitec]ii Rena[terii de altfel, s` trateze ora[ul ca un uria[ palat: «am gåndit \ntotdeauna c` ora[ul nu trebuie considerat un ambient, ci trebuie s` transform`m elementele urbane \n elemente arhitecturale: coridoare / str`zi, cur]i / pie]e, arcade / galerii acoperite. Localurile [i spa]iile interioare nu sunt semnificative». n versiunea aceasta, importante sunt apari]iile publice. Fa]` de modelul urban complex, iscat de analiza trecutului, dou` atitudini se diferen]iaz` pe o platform` comun`. Ora[ul «tradi]ional», singurul mediu posibil pentru o via]` uman` semnificativ` [i civilizat`, nu poate fi implementat dup` p`rerea lui Kenneth Frampton decåt sub forma unei enclave urbane \n sånul megalopolisului modern, «fragmente limitate \n care memoria [i practica unei culturi liberative mai poate fi nutrit` [i sus]inut`». n fa]a acestei ideologii defensive, Leon Krier propune «rezisten]a» ca proiect global [i singur` salvare a civiliza]iei urbane: «un ora[ poate fi reconstruit numai sub form` de str`zi, 60

61 pie]e [i cartiere urbane. Cartierele trebuie s` integreze toate func]iunile vie]ii urbane \n limite care nu pot s` dep`[easc` 35 ha [i de locuitori. Str`zile [i pie]ele trebuie s` prezinte un caracter familiar. Dimensiunile [i propor]iile lor trebuie s` fie ale celor mai bune [i mai frumoase pre-industriale. Simplitatea trebuie s` fie mijlocul pentru a ajunge la o topografie urban` complex`. Ora[ul trebuie s` fie articulat \n spa]ii publice [i private, monumente [i ]esut urban, arhitectur` clasic` [i cl`diri vernaculare, pie]e [i str`zi, [i \n aceast` ordine» (Caiet editat pentru Bienala de la Vene]ia 1980). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 2. Modernism versus Post-Modernism. O succesiune discutat` Voca]ia demiurg` a arhitecturii moderne, triumf`toare \n anii 20, era total`; moderni[tii voiau nu numai s` reformeze vocabularul artei lor, ci [i s` modifice \ntregul ambient al omului \ntr-un fel de proiect universal ce urma s` cuprind` totul, de la linguri]a de ceai [i locuin]`, la re]elele de transport [i ora[ele de milioane de locuitori (Villes Radieuses). Orice solu]ie de compromis, orice evolu]ie gradual`, le era str`in`. Voiau s` for]eze prin cadrul fizic inedit, a[ezarea cet`]ii Viitorului [i atribuiau demersului lor uria[e valen]e sociale (Architecture ou révolution Le Corbusier). Mi[carea modern` s-a definit prin ruptura total` cu tradi]ia, cu vechea disciplin` a stilurilor, refuzånd orice referin]` [i aluzie, propunånd pariul imposibil al unei arhitecturi care \[i genereaz` permanent cu fiecare oper` limbajul inedit inspirat de realit`]i tectonice [i utilitare. Nicio retoric` explicit`, nicio simbolizare a unor valori [i con]inuturi universal acceptate, nicio preocupare de inser]ie \n ]esutul existent. Valoarea suprem` era grafica planului (Le plan générateur Le Corbusier), realizarea elegant` a unor abstracte [i spectaculoase spa]ii interioare. Alt` valoare o reprezint` expresivitatea maxim`, egocentric`: cl`direa se exprim` pe sine \n compunerea [i anatomia sa, \n impudoare [i trufie. Neputånd vorbi decåt despre ea \ns`[i [i \nc` \ntr-un vocabular puritan [i restrictiv, arhitectura modern` a devenit pentru majoritatea oamenilor «o arhitectur` t`cut`»; mai mult, un 61

62 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban limbaj autogenerat nu poate fi stilistic bogat, un individ nu poate produce singur bog`]ia de elemente ale unui stil constituit. Din cauza aceasta [i datorit` postulatului, capital pentru el, al omogenit`]ii, arhitectul modern, pentru a evita disonan]ele, caut` s` foloseasc` forme simple, f`r` caracter, indiferen]e, ob]inånd opere s`race, univoce [i neutre. Marilor ambi]ii moderniste, degradate \n banalitatea practicii curente cu efecte devastatoare asupra habitatului uman le succede o arhitectur` neambi]ioas`, umil`, nesincer` [i critic`: arhitectura post-modern`. Antiutopic`, reluånd bucuroas` dialogul cu tradi]ia, dezavuånd schimb`rile [i glorificånd «status quo-ul», arhitectura aceasta ]ese fire de continuitate cu ultima verig` a lan]ului \ntrerupt de ruptura modernist`: cu sfår[itul secolului al XIX-lea. Repertoriile stilistice ale clasicismului, eclectismului [i Jugendstil-ului sunt reluate cu delicii, repetate cu pietate, refolosite cu cinism sau umor, modificate, transformate. Este o arhitectur` simbolic`, «o arhitectur` a sensului» \nlocuind «arhitectura expresiei» (Venturi), o arhitectur` dedicat` valorilor comunic`rii, o arhitectur` a decora]iei aplicate, a banalit`]ii, a[a cum o define[te Eco: «pentru a introduce noi func]ii trebuie s` ne sprijinim pe vechi forme cunoscute. Un principiu semiologic de baz` se repet` aici foarte bine explicat \n Poetica lui Aristotel: elementele de informa]ie bogate pot fi doar sus]inute \n centuri de redundan]`. Fiecare vårf de improbabilitate r`måne conectat cu posibilul». Estetica planului a fost \nlocuit` cu cea a elementelor verticale, interioare, siluete, dar mai ales fa]ade «groase» netransparente, de multe ori adev`rate ecrane autonome care definesc o arhitectur` nesincer` cum crede Venturi c` a fost arhitectura istoric`. Caracteristica de c`petenie a acestei arhitecturi este autonomia formal`, separarea arhitecturii ca limbaj artistic de determinan]ii sociali, tehnologici, utilitari, adic` apari]ia tardiv` \n cåmpul acestei arte a discursului auto-referen]ial, pliat asupra lui \nsu[i, asupra propriei sale istorii [i sintaxe, apari]ia «textului ca proprie textur`» (Barthes). Mul]imea de curente adunate sub categoria de «post-modernism» 62

63 se desface \n dou` direc]ii majore: formalist` [i realist`. Realismul tinde c`tre «reconcilierea istoric`», revalorificarea regionalului, vernacularului, a modalit`]ilor culturale acceptate. Contextual, ironic, cinic, sclipitor, variat, permisiv [i conciliant, realismul dup` unii se \ndreapt` spre Kitsch. Kitsch-ul este prezent \n exuberan]a fizic` a unor cl`diri, ca [i \n futilitatea extravagant` a gadget-urilor Aceasta este adev`rata proiec]ie a aprigei pofte de putere pe care subcultura o manifest` [i tehnica o exprim`: acestea dou` se combin` pentru a produce o arhitectur` doar pentru efort, lipsit` chiar de uz practic Kitsch-ul cre[te varietatea de forme prezent` \n lume \n mod considerabil. Kitsch-ul este una dintre tehnicile sociologice [i estetice invalide care se bazeaz`, la råndul lor, pe o rela]ie social` invalid` [i pe o inerent` lips` de claritate. Formalismul «este \n mod evident o \ncercare de a salva disciplina arhitecturii de ocultare de c`tre for]ele atotbiruitoare ale tehnicii [i economiei» (Kenneth Frampton). Formali[tii subliniaz` rolul important jucat de anumite tipuri stabile de cl`diri \n determinarea \n timp a morfologiei urbane [i \[i afirm` credin]a \n existen]a obiectiv` a unor reguli compozi]ionale [i combinatorii istorice[te determinate. Aceste curente, acceptånd ca \ndrept`]ite necesit`]ile omului, resping principiul dup` care forma urmeaz` func]iei (ergonomia), postuleaz` autonomia relativ` a arhitecturii. Aceasta \nseamn`, f`r` doar [i poate, o revenire la normele apropiate clasicismului european. Autonomia relativ` a arhitecturii a dus la reevaluarea «fragmentului urban» (Kenneth Frampton), poten]ånd preocuparea pentru spa]iul public urban de semnifica]ie social` [i cultural`. Acestor tendin]e le dator`m noua sensibilitate pentru ora[ele tradi]iei europene. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 3. Ascensiunea, dec`derea [i gloria lui Edwin Lutyens sau mecanismul rena[terilor miraculoase ntre 18 decembrie 1981 [i 31 ianuarie 1982, Hayward Gallery a ad`postit o triumfal` expozi]ie dedicat` marelui arhitect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Din anul 1890, anul debutului, [i pån` \n 1944, cånd a murit, Edwin Lutyens a fost unanim considerat ca arhitect 63

64 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban de excep]ie, talentat, genial, [eful incontestat al [colii tradi]ionaliste [i figur` na]ionalist` de prestigiu, «Lutyens a \nsemnat pentru noi tot ce a avut mai bun lumea veche». n anii 50, 60, marele arhitect al romantismului edwardian [i al Indiei imperiale a fost ]inta atacurilor tot mai dure ale arhitec]ilor moderni[ti ajun[i cu \ntårziere la suprema]ie \n Marea Britanie. A fost criticat pentru trecerea de la romantism la Marele Stil. A fost \nvinuit c` [i-a deturnat marele talent c`tre ]eluri retrograde [i c` a avut un rol nefast \n istoria mi[c`rii moderne prin exemplul s`u; \n cele din urm` a fost aruncat \n umbr` [i t`cere, astfel \ncåt \n 1969 nu s-au putut aduna nici m`car 100 pentru deschiderea unei expozi]ii omagiale. n anii 70, \ns`, Lutyens a devenit un fenomen notabil; b`trånul maestru ridicat din nou la glorie a fost numit «unul dintre cei doi, trei arhitec]i britanici de excep]ie din toate timpurile», faima sa postum` a trecut Oceanul, a intrat \n Panteonul tutelar al mi[c`rii post-moderne [i, \nainte de marea-i retrospectiv` triumfal` de la Londra, a fost celebrat la M.O.M.A. la New-York printr-o r`sun`toare expozi]ie. Dinamica buclei circulare, a biografiei postume a lui Lutyens, paradigmatic` pentru desf`[ur`rile din ultimii ani \n arhitectur`, ne trimite cu gåndul la nu mai pu]in fascinantele desf`[ur`tori din perioada gotic` [i arunc` o punte peste epoci atåt de distan]ate. Baltrusaitis (\n Metamorfozele goticului) ne arat` c` arta gotic` a perturbat continuit`]ile [i tradi]iile romanicului, punånd un nou limbaj formal. Goticul «clasicist», realist, folosind o tectonic` elegant` [i supl`, o geometrie neopresiv`, compozi]ii bazate pe disociere [i autonomia p`r]ilor, aflat \n posesia unei iconografii senine [i suråz`toare [i a unei ornament`ri florale [i cu totul dedicat principiului compozi]ional al transparen]ei, a \nlocuit romanicul greoi, subordonat unei tectonici strivitoare [i a unei geometrii riguroase, opac, populat de o vast` faun` teratologic` [i \nzestrat cu o iconografie de co[mar. Firele continuit`]ii perturbate a romanicului, refugiate \n subteran sau \n lumi marginale, au reu[it, dup` epoca de apogeu a goticului, s` refac` chiar \n sånul artei triumf`toare figurile celei exilate. O adev`rat` rena[tere romanic` concretizat` \n reapari]ia re]elei geometrice a coeren]ei tectonice, a scenelor \nfrico[`toare, 64

65 dar mai ales miraculoasa revenire [i \mbog`]ire a mon[trilor, va tulbura goticul tårziu. Reveriile romanice ale mae[trilor goticului tardiv se suprapun tulbur`tor peste reveriile arhitec]ilor post-moderni. n chiar sånul arhitecturii moderne, ace[tia au nostalgia nu a trecutului \ndep`rtat, ci chiar a epocii care a precedat modernismul sfår[itul de secol XIX al clasicismului tårziu [i Jugendstil-ului. To]i demonii stilistici exorciza]i de modernism renasc cu vigoare dup` triumful acestuia din anii 50, 60. Baltrusaitis \nsu[i intuia un ciclu istoric global; «Oricare ar fi c`ile directe sau ocolite ale acestui reflux, el apar]ine unei evolu]ii ciclice». Arhaismele reapar nu prin accident sau devieri locale, ci \n virtutea unei reac]ii morfologice generale supunåndu-se ritmului istoric Pretutindeni, \n mod constant, rede[tept`rile sunt båntuite de miracole. Dar Rena[terea romantic` a deschis, \ntr-un fel, calea Rena[terii propriu-zise, care avea s` arunce atåt goticul, cåt [i romanicul \n umbr` pån` cånd miracolele lor se vor mai ivi \n baroc, pentru a irupe \nc` o dat` \n plin` epoc` romantic`. Validat de traseele ciclurilor istorice, fiind a[ezat la marginea dinspre necunoscut a unei mari epoci creatoare, precedånd [i, cine [tie, acoperind vreo mare ebuli]ie viitoare, post-modernismul ne trimite glasuri [i [oapte ce trebuie ascultate cu deplin` responsabilitate. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Ioan Andreescu (Text scris cu ocazia expozi]iei Timi[oara, Topos [i adecvare, 1983) 65

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67 A Much Debated Succession On an Exhibition of Post-Modern Architecture in Timi[oara IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 1. The Construction of the City or the Nostalgia of Continuity The significance of this exhibition may be difficult to grasp for some, but it is quite clear when examined in the larger context of the transformations contemporary architecture is going through. The modesty of this «attempt», of this collection of delicate forms and fragments of a post-modern attitude is, nevertheless, touching. Nineteen years after the publication of «Complexity and contradiction in architecture» by R. Venturi, a first landmark of recent developments, thirteen years after the first projects realized by the Krier brothers (Echternach, Royal Mint Square), eleven years after the restoration of Bologna, one year after the exhibition «Traditions in Urban Building», Bucharest, and one year before the triumphant I.B.A (Internationale Bauaesstellung) exhibition held in Berlin in 1984 the result of five years of considerable, «live» efforts (the exhibits were to be districts that had been restored in their entirety), this modest exhibition in Timi[oara finds its place in a particular dialogue and its position in a configuration. Why Timi[oara? Because this city is unique in Romania, a genuine paradigm of European urban evolution during the last two centuries; because it is a city whose structure makes possible the application without translation or equivalents of the contemporary concepts and methods of analysis. We have been living for several years the reality it s true, rather theoretical of post-modern urban planning. A castling bears witness of new possibilities; the illuminist concept «spatium in extenso» was replaced with the Heideggerian «Raum». An analysis of pre-modern cities set out to discover the precious qualities of the subtle concept of «place»; thus took shape an image pervaded by the nostalgia of what the new ideal city should be. 67

68 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space First of all, the city should be finite, because in the absence of a limit, it loses not only its cultural, but also its civilizing significance, condemning the art of architecture to the helplessness of chaos and fragmentariness. A city should be coherent, legible, consisting of several traditional elements: streets, squares, urban blocks. Urban space, according to Lincourt s classification, should be positive, i.e. open, excavated in the dense fabric of buildings, and not negative, residual amidst randomly scattered objects (for instance, a district of blocks of flats). The public domain should be clearly separated from the private one, and zoning must be avoided; the city should appear as a collage of functions and visual structures on a fixed skeleton. The use of the traditional closed urban vocabulary (streets, blocks and squares connecting in a network), far from preventing this endeavor, proves to be, on the contrary, if one considers the example of historical cities, an extremely flexible tool. What other name if not flexibility could be given to the independence evinced by the net of houses from the urban network, to the fascinating dialectic of edifice and façade variation as compared to the stability and coherence of urban composition? First of all, a strict law governs the continuity of the traditional city. As shown by Aldo Rossi (L architettura dellà città, 1966), a particular urban morphology can be achieved provided that historically determined types of building are used. The discovery of this close relation between architecture and town planning caused Rossi, like the Renaissance architects, to treat the city like a huge palace: «I have always been of the opinion that the city should not be considered an ambiance; urban elements should be converted into architectural elements, i.e. corridors into streets, yards into squares, arches into roofed passageways. Interior places and spaces are not significant». From this standpoint, what actually counts is public appearance. Two attitudes sharing a common basis can be identified, in relation to the complex urban model revealed by this analysis of the past. The «traditional» city, the only environment possible for a significant and civilized human life, can be implemented according to Kenneth Frampton only in the form of an urban 68

69 enclave amid the modern megalopolis, «limited fragments where the memory and practice of a liberating culture can still be nurtured and maintained». Confronted with this defensive ideology, Leon Krier proposes «resistance» as a global project and sole method of salvation of urban civilization: «a city can be reconstructed only in the form of urban streets, squares and districts. The districts should integrate all the functions of an urban life in an area which should not exceed 35 hectares in size and should not have more than 15,000 inhabitants. The streets and the squares should appear familiar. Their dimensions and proportions should be those of the best and most beautiful pre-industrial towns. Simplicity should be chosen as the means to lead us to a complex urban topography. The city should be articulated in public and private spaces, monuments and urban texture, classic architecture and vernacular buildings, squares and streets and in this order» (Brochure edited for the Venice Biennale 1980). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 2. Modernism versus Post-modernism. A Much Debated Succession The demiurgic nature of modern architecture, triumphant in the 20s, was total; modernists wanted not only to reform the specific vocabulary of their art, but also to change the entire human ambiance as part of a universal project which was to encompass everything, from the teaspoon to the dwelling, to the transportation networks and the cities with millions of inhabitants (Villes Radieuses). Any compromise, any gradual evolution was unknown to them. They wanted to forcefully place the city of the Future amidst an unusual setting and ascribed hugely generous social values to their undertaking (Architecture ou révolution Le Corbusier). The modern movement defined itself by means of a total rupture from tradition, from the old discipline of styles, rejecting any reference and hint, proposing the impossible bet of an architecture which permanently generates with each of its accomplishments the unusual language inspired by tectonic and utilitarian realities. 69

70 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space No explicit rhetoric, no symbols of any universally accepted values and contents, no concern for insertion in the existing fabric. The ultimate value was the graphics of the plan (Le plan générateur, Le Corbusier), the elegant achievement of abstract and spectacular interior spaces. Another value is the utter, egocentric expressiveness: the building expresses itself through its composition and anatomy, its impudence and pride. Able to talk only about itself, and, furthermore, in a puritan and restrictive vocabulary while doing so, modern architecture has become, for most people, a «silent architecture»; moreover, a self-generated language cannot be stylistically rich, an individual cannot produce alone the richness characterizing the elements of an established style. For this reason and due to the capital, for him, principle of homogeneity, the modern architect, in order to avoid disagreements, is looking for simple forms, devoid of character, indifferent, producing works that are deficient, univocal and neutral. Great modernist ambitions, degraded in the banality of current practice with devastating effects on the human habitat are followed by an ambitionless architecture, very humble, insincere and critical: post-modern architecture. Anti-utopian, glad to resume the dialogue with tradition, disapproving of changes and glorifying the «status quo», post-modern architecture sets out to continue from where the modernist rupture occurred: the end of the XXth century. The stylistic registers of classicism, eclecticism and Jugendstil are resumed with pleasure, repeated with piousness, reused cynically or humorously, modified, transformed. It is a symbolic architecture, «an architecture of meaning», which replaces «the architecture of expression» (Venturi), an architecture dedicated to the values of communication, an architecture of applied decoration, of banality as defined by Eco: «in order to introduce new functions, we need to rely on old well-known forms. A basic semiotic principle is reiterated here which was very accurately explained in Aristotle s Poetics: rich pieces of information may be inserted provided that they are supported by redundancy belts. Each bit of improbability remains connected to the possible». 70

71 The aesthetics of the plan has been replaced with that of vertical, interior elements, silhouettes, but especially facades: «thick», non-transparent, most of the times autonomous screens which define an insincere architecture, as Venturi characterized historical architecture. The primary trait of this architecture is formal autonomy, separation of architecture as artistic language from social, technological, utilitarian causes, which amounts to a late emergence, in the field of this art, of the self-referential discourse, bent on itself, on its own history and syntax, the emergence of «text as its own texture» (Barthes). The multitude of trends reunited under the «post-modernism» denomination can be separated into two major directions: formalist and realist. Realism tends to achieve «historical reconciliation», to make good use of the vernacular, of accepted cultural modalities. Contextual, ironic, cynical, bright, varied, permissive and conciliatory, realism in the opinion of some is firmly heading towards Kitsch. Kitsch is present in the physical exuberance of some buildings, as well as in the extravagant futility of gadgets This is the true projection of the fierce thirst for power nurtured by the subculture, and technique voices it: the two merge, producing architecture simply to justify the effort, architecture which is even devoid of any practical purpose sometimes. Kitsch expands the variety of forms to be seen in the world to a considerable extent Kitsch is one of those invalid sociological and aesthetic techniques, which in their turn rely on an invalid social relation and an inherent lack of clarity. Formalism «is obviously an attempt to save the subject of architecture from being occulted by the overpowering forces of technique and economy» (Kenneth Frampton). Formalists underline the important part played over time by certain established types of buildings in outlining the urban morphology and state their belief in the objective existence of compositional and combinatory rules that are historically determined. These trends, which accept man s needs as rightful, reject the principle according to which form follows function (ergonomics), and assert the relative autonomy of architecture. This means, IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 71

72 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space without doubt, going back to the norms related to European classicism. The relative autonomy of architecture has led to a reassessment of the «urban fragment» (Kenneth Frampton), augmenting the concern for the urban public space as bearer of social and cultural significance. We owe these tendencies the new sensitivity for the cities belonging to the European tradition. 3. The Rise, the Fall and the Glory of Edwin Lutyens or the Mechanism of Miraculous Rebirth Between the 18 December 1981 and 31 January 1982, Hayward Gallery hosted a triumphant exhibition dedicated to the great architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Starting from 1890, the year of his debut, and until 1944, when he died, Edwin Lutyens was unanimously considered an exceptional architect, a man of talent and a genius, the undisputed chief of the traditionalist school and a prestigious nationalist personality. «For us, Lutyens meant the best that the old world had to offer». During the 50s and the 60s, the great architect of Edwardian romanticism and of Imperial India was the target of ever stronger attacks led by modernist architects who had finally gained supremacy in Great Britain. He was criticized for his transition from Romanticism to the Great Style. He was accused that he had put his immense talent to the service of conservative goals and had played an unfortunate part in the history of the modern movement through his example; he was finally forgotten, so that, in 1969 not even 100 could be collected to open a commemorative exhibition. However, in the 70s, the Lutyens revival became a notable phenomenon; the old master was again reinstated and called «one of the two or three exceptional British architects of all time»; his posthumous fame crossed the ocean and entered the tutelary pantheon of the post-modern movement, and, just before the grand, triumphant retrospective evocation in London was celebrated at M.O.M.A., in New York, on the occasion of a very successful exhibition. The circular dynamics of Lutyens posthumous biography, paradigmatic for the latest developments in architecture, makes us go back to the not less fascinating evolutions characterizing the 72

73 Gothic period and throw a bridge over ages that are so far apart. Baltrusaitis (in The Metamorphoses of Gothic) shows that Gothic art disturbed the continuity and traditions of Romanesque, establishing a new formal language. The «classicist», realist Gothic, with its elegant and svelte tectonics and non-oppressive geometry, with its compositions based on dissociation and the autonomy of parts, in possession of a serene and joyful iconography and floral ornamentation and totally dedicated to the compositional principle of transparence replaced the heavy Romanesque, subordinated to a burdensome tectonics and a rigorous geometry, opaque, populated by a vast teratological fauna and evincing a nightmarish iconography. Threads of the disturbed continuity of the Romanesque, evicted underground or in marginal worlds, managed to resurface after the acme of Gothic and to bring back the illustrations of the exiled art amidst the very figures of the triumphant one. A genuine Romanesque rebirth took place, materialized in the reoccurrence of the geometric network of tectonic coherence, the frightening scenes, but particularly in the miraculous return and ornamentation of monsters, will characterize late Gothic. The Romanesque reveries of the masters of Late Gothic disturbingly resemble the reveries of post-modern architects. Amidst modern architecture itself, they are nostalgic not about the remote past, but the very epoch which preceded modernism the end of the XIXth century of late classicism and Jugendstil. All the stylistic demons exorcized by modernism come back to life vigorously after its triumph in the 50s and 60s. Baltrusaitis himself established a global cycle; «Whatever the direct or detoured paths of this reflux, it does belong to a cyclic evolution.» Archaisms resurface not by accident or local deviations, but by virtue of a general morphological reaction, obeying the historical rhythm Everywhere and constantly, rebirths are haunted by miracles. In a way, Romanesque Renaissance paved the way for Renaissance proper, which was to eclipse both the Gothic and the Romanesque for a while, until their miracles resurfaced again during the Baroque, and then erupted during the Romantic era. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 73

74 Validated by the historical cycles, placed on the border with the unknown traced earlier by a grand creative era, preceding and, who knows, protecting some great future effervescence, post-modernism is voicing its messages and whispers which must be listened to with full responsibility. Ioan Andreescu Translation: Claudia Rada (Text written on the occasion of the Exhibition Timi[oara, Topos and adequacy, 1983)

75 Modernitatea sau Spiritul timpului Modernitatea mitologia rupturii IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Mi[carea modernit`]ii, prad` obsesiei nout`]ii absolute, exprim` visul de a restabili lumea formelor pe temelii profane. «Nu m`sur`m suficient ruptura ap`rut` între epoca noastr` [i perioadele anterioare... Epoca noastr`, incluzånd [i ultimii cincizeci de ani, se contrapune a zece secole deja trecute» (Le Corbusier). Refuzånd abrupt stilurile, mi[carea modern` s-a dovedit a fi, în cele din urm`, un stil ea îns`[i. Arhitectura modern` clivaj al memoriei preocupate de fondarea unei noi epoci n-a fost decåt ultimul moment al unei mari continuit`]i: etapa final` a discursului arhitectural structurat pe cele trei niveluri: simbolic, estetic [i utilitar, dintre care unul genereaz` forma [i, subordonåndu-le pe celelalte dou`, confer` integritate ansamblului. Atunci cånd ultimul dintre cele trei niveluri a ajuns în pozi]ia dominant`, se înregistreaz`, simultan, ultimul moment al func]iei practice a vechii structuri. Exist` o simbolic` [i o estetic` a modernismului, care, între altele, celebreaz` noii zei ai unei ere profane. Arhitectura modern` este «transparen]a» care ascunde totul, l`sånd s` apar` adev`rurile «fundamentale» ritmuri [i armonii «ma[iniste»; ea î[i asum` sarcina de a implanta în realul degradat imaginea unei noi «cet`]i ideale»; ea se vrea a fi instrumentul de manipulare a umanului; art` social`, interven]ie global`: ambi]iile sale vizeaz` «universalitatea». Semnele crizei Criza modernismului este, de asemenea, efectul caracterului fragil [i non-autentic al mitologiilor sale [i ea a devenit vulnerabil` la dou` categorii de critici: 75

76 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban 1. Arhitecturii moderne i s-a repro[at lipsa de realism, adic` lipsa chiar a caracterului s`u fundamental de «art` universal`»: «Nu fac niciun efort special pentru a încerca s` leg arhitectura de orice altceva» declara Robert Venturi în Despre Ambiguitate în Arhitectur`. Abandonul deschiderii [i reculul în fa]a universului, închiderea în sine îns`[i, «decosmizarea», toate acestea apar ca umile [i, în acela[i timp, tenace deziderate. 2. I s-a repro[at arhitecturii moderne lipsa de semnifica]ie, t`cerea, lini[tea sa, de unde [i exigen]a unei «elocven]e» imperioase [i necesare. «Îmi plac mai mult obiectele pline de semnifica]ii» (Venturi) sau «cl`dirile pot [i trebuie s` vorbeasc`» (Moore, Despre ce vorbim?). În realitate, arhitectura modern` a avut propria sa retoric` [i propriul ei sunet, dar ea n-a f`cut decåt s` vorbeasc` despre lucrurile care s-au dovedit a fi, într-un final, lipsite de un caracter revelator. Sunetul transformat în lini[te, esen]ialul devenit inutil, ceremoniile trucate anun]`, împreun`, sfår[itul unei tradi]ii [i prefigureaz`, în acela[i timp, ruptura autentic`. Arhitectura zilelor noastre (1), realist`, vorbitoare, post-modern`, de-structurat`, povestind doar nostalgii simple, viseaz` la anularea rupturilor, la recuperarea vechilor limbaje, dar toate acestea în absen]a sensului. Este vorba de un fel de «pl`cere a textului» (Barthes) epuizat`, repliat` pe ea îns`[i: «limbajul ajuns la cap`tul s`u irumpe în afara sa, exploziv, [i se contest` în mod radical (...) r`månånd la limita vidului, vorbind despre el însu[i într-un limbaj secund, în care absen]a unui subiect suveran îi etaleaz` golul esen]ial [i rupe unitatea discursului» (Michel Foucault). La traversarea «hiatus»-ului actual, existen]a unui destin exemplar ne poate servi de avertisment. Exemplar prin e[ecul s`u, Louis Kahn a încercat s` propun` o arhitectur` sacr`, mistic`, f`r` suportul unei religii autentice, care s`-i poat` sus]ine aspira]ia spre rigoare. Demersul s`u a circumscris o problem` [i a m`surat o neputin]`. O arhitectur` într-adev`r semnificativ` presupune o transparen]` simbolic`, pus` în slujba «sensului cosmic», care lipse[te civiliza]iei noastre. 76

77 Recuperarea con[tiin]ei cosmice [i restructurarea triadic` a discursului arhitectural dep`[esc puterile individului [i chiar [i pe cele ale societ`]ii. Putem produce, în aceast` «lung` noapte», arhitecturi ale a[tept`rii, îngrijor`toare, care ruineaz` zidurile indolente ale banalit`]ii, care pun în discu]ie tabuurile [i care deschid c`ile medita]iei [i accesului la o nou` sensibilitate ce ar putea percepe lumina. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. Adic` arhitectura post-modern` discursiv` aflat`, la începutul anilor 80, la apogeul s`u filologic [i metodologic (n. aut.). Ioan Andreescu / Vlad Gaivoronschi / Adrian Florin Iona[iu (Text trimis la Bienala de Arhitectur` Paris, 1982) 77

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79 Modernity or the Spirit of the Time Modernity the Mythology of Rupture IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI The modernist movement, pervaded by the obsession with absolute novelty, expresses the dream to reconstruct the world of forms on a profane foundation. «We are not measuring to a sufficient extent the rupture produced between our era and the previous periods... Our era, including the latest fifty years, acts as a counterbalance to the past ten centuries» (Le Corbusier). Abruptly refusing styles, the modernist movement proved to be, in the end, a style in itself. Modern architecture a rift in the memory concerned with establishing a new era was but the last moment in a long continuity: the final stage of an architectural discourse structured on three levels: symbolic, aesthetic and utilitarian, one of which generates the form and causes the other two to subordinate to it, conferring unity to the whole. The moment when the last of the three levels reaches the dominant position also marks the last moment of the practical function of the old structure. Modernism has its symbolism and its aesthetics which celebrate, inter alia, the new gods of a new profane era. Modern architecture is the «transparency» hiding everything, leaving only the «fundamental» truths to emerge «machinist» rhythms and harmonies; it assumes the task to implement, in the degraded reality, the image of a new «ideal fortified city»; it aims to be the instrument for the manipulation of the human; social art, global intervention, its ambitions aim to reach «universality». The Signs of the Crisis The modernism crisis undergoes is also the effect of the fragile and unauthentic character of its mythologies, which made it 79

80 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space possible for it to be vulnerable to two categories of criticism: 1. Modern architecture was reproached for its lack of realism, i.e. the lack of its fundamental character of «universal art»: «I am not making any special attempts to connect architecture to anything else», Robert Venturi stated in On Ambiguity in Architecture. This relinquishment of any opening and withdrawal before the universe, closing in oneself, «deprivation of veneer», all these appear as humble and at the same time tenacious goals. 2. Modern architecture was reproached for its lack of significance, its quietness, its silence; hence the mandatory requirement of a necessary «eloquence». «I like objects full of significance more» (Venturi) or «the buildings can and should speak» (Moore «What are we talking about?»). In point of fact, modern architecture had its own rhetoric and its own sound, but it confined itself to dealing only with things which in the end proved to be devoid of any revelatory nature. The sound turned into silence, the essential become useless, the forged ceremonies, all together herald the end of a tradition and concomitantly forecast a genuine rupture. The architecture of our times (1), realist, eloquent, post-modern, de-structured, narrating solely about simple nostalgia, dreams to annul the ruptures, to recover old languages, all of these, however, against the absence of meaning. We are dealing with some sort of «pleasure of the exhausted text» (Barthes), folded on itself: «language, once arrived at its limits, erupts outside of itself, challenges itself in a radical fashion (...) remaining on the fringes of vacuum, referring to itself in a secondary language in which the absence of a sovereign subject emphasizes its essential void and disrupts the unity of the discourse» (Michel Foucault). In crossing the current «hiatus», the existence of an exemplary destiny can serve as a warning. Exemplary by his failure, Louis Kahn tried to propose a sacred, mystical architecture without the support of an authentic religion which could have upheld his aspiration to rigorousness. His endeavor highlighted an issue and measured powerlessness. A truly significant architecture implies a symbolic transparency, made to serve the «cosmic meaning» absent from our civilization. 80

81 The recovery of cosmic consciousness and the triadic restructuring of architectural discourse exceed the powers of the individual and even those of society. We can produce, during this «long night», thoughtful architecture of anticipation, which will demolish the lethargic walls of banality, will question taboos, will open the ways for meditation and afford access to a new sensitivity which might perceive the light. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. Meaning the postmodern discursive architecture which had reached, in the early 80s, its philological and methodological climax (author s note). Ioan Andreescu / Vlad Gaivoronschi / Adrian Florin Iona[iu Translation: Claudia Rada (Text sent to the Paris 1982 Architecture Biennale) 81

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83 n c`utarea realului Sau ceea ce este continuu \n manifest`rile arhitecturale ale secolului al XX-lea IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Consultarea revistelor [i c`r]ilor contemporane de arhitectur` ne a[az` \n fa]a unei deconcertante prolifer`ri a clasific`rilor produc]iei [i personalit`]ilor. Reluat` f`r` \ncetare, lun` de lun`, eterna re\mp`r]ire [i (auto)justificare a ceea ce se deseneaz`, scrie sau construie[te, tr`deaz` \n mod evident absen]a criteriului eficient, dar mai ales a capacit`]ii de a r`spunde simplu cåtorva \ntreb`ri fundamentale. Una din aceste \ntreb`ri ocolit` cu grij` de mai toat` lumea este: pe ce se \ntemeiaz` demersul arhitectului, care este atitudinea intim`, stratul de credin]e care-i filtreaz` fluxul intui]iilor [i ideilor? C`ci, fiecare dintre noi, \n fa]a actului manifest`rii, caut` o confirmare, o leg`tur` cu un strat mai «tare» al realului, o convergen]` Privit` sub acest unghi, \ntreaga defilare a doctrinelor [i \nf`ptuirilor arhitecturale ale secolului al XX-lea eviden]iaz` o polarizare puternic`, o dualitate a punctelor de sprijin ce aminte[te de disputa «universaliilor»; eterna disput` \ntre «nominali[ti» [i «reali[ti» \ntrupat` \n divergen]a \ntre cei pe care i-am putea numi (dincolo de orice alte clasific`ri) fundamentali[ti [i formali[ti. «Fundamentali[tii» sunt cei care cred cu putere c` exist` \n spatele cotidianului o «natur`» real` a lumii, complex structurat`, dar cognoscibil`, fa]` de care «natura» vizibil` se a[az` ca o «interfa]`». Pentru ei, acest strat profund al universului constituie adev`ratul suport al actului creator. «Formali[tii» nu sunt interesa]i de «natura» ascuns` a lumii, ci de articularea unei «culturi» asumat artificiale a formei, de \ntemeierea [i articularea riguroas` a unui limbaj. Ei sunt oamenii metodei. 83

84 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban ntre aceste extreme exist` ca de obicei o mare mul]ime de pozi]ii intermediare ce pot fi cumulate astfel: sunt cei solicita]i simultan sau alternativ de cele dou` pozi]ii fundamentale; mai sunt cei mai mul]i care-[i a[az` mai jos nivelul referin]ei, preferånd op]iunilor personale alinierea la pozi]ii formulate de al]ii; aici suntem cel pu]in o treapt` «energetic`» mai jos. Fundamentali[tii se a[az` diferit \n fa]a naturii vizibile. Unii dintre ei organicii pornesc de la ea [i, folosind instrumentul analogiei, caut` s` descopere ceea ce este nemanifest. Exemplul perfect este Rudolf Steiner, creator al unei hermeneutici a formei naturale ca poart` de acces c`tre necunoscut. Actul crea]iei arhitecturale devine un drum al cunoa[terii [i fiecare form`, textur`, culoare are o valoare instrumental`. Un puternic curent urmeaz` aceast` orientare \n ]`rile scandinave, lumea german` [i \n Ungaria. Pentru al]ii, forma organic` este un obstacol; ei cred c` ceea ce une[te p`r]ile cosmosului este o armonie trainic`, pitagoreic`, str`in` de cre[tere [i dec`dere, fix` [i imuabil` ca un traseu. Mondrian ca pictor [i Matilda Ghyka ca gånditor ilustreaz` aceast` tendin]`. Sunt puri[tii, obseda]ii armoniilor esen]iale, ai expresiei abstracte a absolutului. Pot fi pomeni]i aici Cazimir Malevici [i suprema]i[tii ru[i, autori ai vestitelor «constructe» care nu sunt jocuri formale, ci grave c`ut`ri \n ordinea fiin]ei, dar exemplul cel mai puternic este, bine\n]eles, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, c`ut`tor al simplit`]ii [i rafinamentului traseului, purit`]ii [i perfec]iunii ascetice a detaliului, omul a c`rei lectur` de c`p`tåi era Augustin. O categorie aparte de arhitec]i contemporani se apropie de fundamentali[ti prin modalitatea demersului lor: c`utarea unui domeniu presupus imuabil al lumii ascuns \n spatele variabilit`]ii vizibilului; doar c` ei pun accentul pe natura uman`, pe psiché \n locul naturii propriu-zise. Influen]a]i de gåndirea lui C.G. Jung, ei investigheaz` \n atitudinea omului fa]` de ambian]a construit` invarian]i, arhetipuri botezate pattern-uri, care se afl` dincolo de mode [i influen]e. Folosirea acestor pattern-uri ar fi dup` Christopher Alexander, \ntemeietorul mi[c`rii benefic`, prin conformitate cu natura profund` a fiin]ei umane. 84

85 n cazul formali[tilor, avem de a face cu o ocultare a naturii [i o \ndep`rtare de problema \ntemeierii discursului \ntr-o realitate exterioar` sie[i. Se accept` caracterul conven]ionalcultural al limbajului [i tot efortul st` \n orchestrarea lui savant`. Ei celebreaz` tehnicile [i opera]iile sintactice [i semantice; sunt autorii manualelor de compozi]ie [i ai lucr`rilor ce exploreaz` limitele limbajului, jocul aluziilor [i articula]iilor dibace. Ei sunt retorii arhitecturii, pentru care disciplinele formale suplinesc ontologicul. n primul rånd, ca fervoare [i bog`]ie, trebuie pomeni]i constructivi[tii ru[i, dintre care, Jakov Cernikov, autor al unui inegalat tratat de compozi]ie, o adev`rat` enciclopedie a procedeelor formale nereferen]iale. ntre urma[ii lor de azi Zaha Hadid, perfect` månuitoare a unui limbaj artificial, demn de un muzeu imaginar de[i destinat, aparent, construc]iei reale. Tensiunea introdus` de mania perfec]ionist` «à outrance» face ca multe opere ale formali[tilor s` fie inconstruibile, ele fertilizånd referin]` operele altora, demn nivel inferior. ntre formele contemporane de manifestare formalist`, se afl` [i [coala tipologic` a lui Aldo Rossi o \ncercare de a reduce la o simplificare geometric` ultim` (pur formal` [i una metafizic`) vocabularul construc]iei urbane. Dar modalitatea cea mai fascinant` de manifestare trebuie c`utat` \n curentul High-Tech a[a cum este ilustrat de Norman Foster sau Michael Hopkins. Folosind modalit`]i [i procedee ale celei mai \nalte tehnologii (considerat` singurul lucru indiscutabil \ntr-o lume devastat` de \ndoieli), ca pretext formal [i suport al articul`rii discursului, acest curent propune un limbaj de o coeren]` [i un perfec]ionism incredibil considerat de autori ca fiind unica pav`z` a creatorului \ntr-o lume a pulveriz`rii valorilor. Clasicii postmodernismului american din deceniile [ase [i [apte Venturi, Moore, Jencks, Stern pot fi asimila]i, f`r` grij`, formalismului prin folosirea explicit` [i coerent` a modelelor filologice [i prin grija deosebit` de a-[i men]ine prolixul [i savantul lor limbaj \ntr-un regim strict auto-referen]ial. ntre cei solicita]i de ambele voca]ii fundamentalist` [i formalist` exist` enigmatice figuri de mari arhitec]i. Un exemplu IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 85

86 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban clasic ie[ind \ns` din sfera cercet`rii noastre, cantonat` \n secolul XX este arhitectul tutelar al Germaniei Shinkel. Atras cu egal` intensitate \n direc]ii opuse, oferind opere perfecte \n amåndou`, el n-a putut nici alege, nici armoniza [i a sucombat la propriu tensiunii de nedep`[it (c`ci nu era un eclectic). n secolul nostru, se contureaz` strania figur` a lui Adolf Loos, figur` emblematic` a culturii vieneze, prieten cu Karl Kraus [i Wittgenstein. La fel ca [i acesta din urm`, care-[i \ncheie vestitul «Tractatus» afirmånd: «Exist` desigur inexprimabilul» [i ad`ugånd: «Asupra lucrurilor despre care nu se poate vorbi, trebuie s` t`cem», Loos [tie c` exist` o dimensiune ontologic` a arhitecturii, dar consider` timpul [i mijloacele formale existente improprii exprim`rii sale. El propune o limitare voluntar` a recursului la «natura real`» \n favoarea unei terapii culturale prin disciplin` [i vigoare metodologic` a limbajelor considerate dec`zute [i redundante (Ornament [i crim`), definind o pozi]ie ce avea solie mai tårziu, str`lucit exprimat` de H. Hesse \n Jocul cu m`rgelele de sticl`. Un caz aparte \l prezint` arhitec]ii japonezi contemporani care, \n deplin` senin`tate [i f`r` conflicte, produc lucr`ri \mbinate de metafizic` [i tehnici fundamentaliste zen, dar pline de referin]e la cele mai formaliste tehnici de articulare occidental` [i ale c`ror texte abund` de citate copioase din Barthes, Derrida, Lévi Strauss. Exist` [i tragedia de nespus a lui Louis Kahn, cel care toat` via]a [i-a croit un drum chinuitor spre ceea ce credea el c` este inima luminoas` a realului, f`r` a reu[i s-o g`seasc`. Opera sa, o imens` \ncercare f`r` r`spuns, a devenit, datorit` disciplinei sale, o referin]` formalist`. Cåt despre ceilal]i, cei mul]i care umplu paginile revistelor, str`zile ora[elor, s`lile de conferin]e [i exhib` complicate sisteme de referin]` [i justificarea gestului lor tocmai pentru c` nu au op]iuni limpezi. E mai u[or s` fii complicat Din punctul nostru de vedere, ei ar putea fi grupa]i \n: Arhitec]i ce urmeaz` curentele dominante, modele [i consensurile generale; C`ut`tori ai sprijinului public a[a-zis` arhitectur` a particip`rii, care-[i \nchipuie c` un dialog extins cu viitorii locatari este, \n 86

87 sine, singura garan]ie a succesului; Cei care refolosesc tradi]ii, modele individuale sau colective, \nlocuind, prin alegerea unui model, op]iunea pe care trebuie s-o fac` singuri. n loc de \ncheiere o ciudat` constatare: deosebirile de orientare (formalism-fundamentalism) care se reduc, de fapt, la acceptarea sau neacceptarea «alterit`]ii» ([i a identific`rii finale cu ea) nu conduc \n mod necesar la deosebiri cerute la nivelul operelor construite. Un duh comun \nv`luie operele arhitec]ilor dedica]i unei epoci, a[a \ncåt este, de multe ori, greu de deosebit un suprematist de un constructivist, un purist de un adept al hightech-ului, un minimalist de un tipolog. Exist`, pentru aceast` identitate ce transcende inten]iile, mai multe «scenarii» explicative. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI A. Explica]ii fire[ti: continuitatea mediului profesional [i a mesajelor culturale specifice; unitatea referin]elor teoretice [i practice; identitatea problemelor: specificul, locuirea, ora[ul ca sintez` a civiliza]iei, ambientul comunit`]ii umane. B. Nicio explica]ie C. O singur` explica]ie, pe care nu [tiu dac` o pot formula: Evaluarea contrastului doctrinar [i a convergen]ei paradoxale \ntre formali[ti [i fundamentali[ti (categorii care transcend [colii [i grup`rii, etichete stilistice [i conjuncturale) poate deschide credem noi o cale mai fireasc` de \n]elegere a fr`månt`rilor culturale ale acestui secol. Bibliografie selectiv`: C`r]i: 1. Rudolf Steiner 2. Christopher Alexander 3. S. Chan-Magomedow 4. N. Pevsner 5. Bruno Zevi 87

88 6. Peter Betthausen 7. C. G. Jung, Vers un style nouveau en architecture, Ed. Triades, Paris 8. A Pattern Language, Oxford Univ. Press 9. Pioniere der sowjetischen Architektur, Verlag der Kunst, Bresden 10. Pionieers of Modern Design, Penguin books, London 11. Giulio Sinaudi, Storia dell architettura moderna 12. Karl Friedrich Schinkel 13. Svanos, Der mensh und seine symbole Reviste: 1. «Architecture d Aujourd hui», februarie, 1986, Norman Foster 2. «Architecture d Aujourd hui» iunie, 1984, Métamorphoses profil Zaha Hadid 3. Colec]ia revistei «Japan Architect» Ioan Andreescu, 1987

89 In Search of the Real Or Continuity in the Architectural Expressions of the XXth Century IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI A review of contemporary architecture magazines and books brings us face to face with a disconcerting proliferation of production and personality classifications. Reiterated ceaselessly, month after month, the eternal split and (self)justification of what is being drawn, written or constructed obviously betray the lack of efficient criteria, but, especially, of the capacity to provide a simple answer to a few fundamental questions. One of these questions carefully avoided by almost everybody strives to discover what the architect s endeavor is founded on, what the intimate attitude, the layer of beliefs filtering the flux of his intuitions and ideas consists of. Because each and every one of us, when faced with the act of expression, searches for a confirmation, a link with a «stronger» layer of reality, for convergence Regarded from this perspective, a look at the XXth century s architectural doctrines and accomplishments evidences a strong polarity, a duality of the points of support which reminds one of the dispute of the «universals»: the eternal dispute between the «nominalists» and the «realists», embodied in the divergence between what we might call (beyond any other classifications) the fundamentalists and the formalists. The «fundamentalists» strongly believe that behind the daily occurrences there hides a «real nature» of the world, intricately structured, but cognoscible, with respect to which the «visible nature» plays the role of the «interface». For them, this deep layer of the universe constitutes the true support of the creative endeavor. The «formalists» are not interested in the «hidden nature» of the world, but in formulating an openly assumed, artificial «culture» 89

90 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space of the form, in rigorously founding and articulating a language. They are fond of the method as such. Between such extreme stances there is, as usual, a wide range of intermediary standpoints, which may be classified as follows: those simultaneously or alternatively oscillating between the two fundamental positions; those the majority actually who lower their referential level, choosing the standpoints promoted by others over their personal options; we are one «energetic» step lower, in this case. Fundamentalists place themselves differently before the visible nature. Some of them the organic start from it and, by using analogy, leave in search of what is not expressed. The perfect example is Rudolf Steiner, creator of a hermeneutics of the natural form as a gateway to the unknown. The act of architectural creation becomes a path to knowledge and each form, texture and color has an instrumental value. This trend is quite powerful in the Scandinavian countries, the German-speaking world and in Hungary. For others, the organic form is an obstacle; they believe that what unites the parts of the cosmos is an enduring, Pythagorean harmony, which does not know growth or decay, fixed and immovable like a line. Mondrian, the painter, and Matilda Ghyka, the thinker, illustrate this trend. They are the purists, obsessed by the essential harmonies, by the abstract expression of the absolute. We could mention here Kazimir Malevich and the Russian Suprematists, authors of the famous «constructs» which are not formal games, but serious acts of probing into the order of being. The best example remains, however, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who sought the simplicity and refinement of the line, the ascetic purity and perfection of detail, the man for whom the ultimate reading were the books of St. Augustine. A separate category of contemporary architects is closely related to the fundamentalists through the manner of their approach: the search for an allegedly immovable realm of the world, hidden behind the variable appearance of the visible; only, they lay emphasis on human nature, on psyche instead of on the nature as such. Influenced by the thinking of C.G. Jung, they investigate, in man s 90

91 attitude towards the built ambiance, archetypes that they call patterns, which are beyond fashion and influences. The use of such patterns would be, according to Christopher Alexander, the founder of the movement, beneficial, by way of conformity with the profound nature of human beings. In the case of formalists, we are dealing with the occultation of nature and the departure from the issue of founding discourse on an external reality. The conventional-cultural character of the language is taken for granted and the whole effort resides in a well-studied utilization thereof. They celebrate techniques, syntactic and semantic operations; they are the authors of composition handbooks and of works which explore the limits of the language, the play of hints and ingenious references. They are the rhetors of architecture, in whose opinion formal subjects supplement the ontology. One should first mention the Russian constructivists, whose works radiate so much passion and richness, among whom Jakov Cernikov, the author of an unequalled treatise on composition, a genuine encyclopedia of non-referential formal methods. Their present followers include Zaha Hadid, who perfectly handles an artificial language worthy of an imaginary museum, although apparently meant for real construction. The tension brought by the perfectionist mania, «à outrance», causes many formalist works to be non-structural and to nourish, as reference, the works of others, truly inferior levels. In contemporary forms of formalist expression one could also include the typological school of Aldo Rossi, an attempt to reduce the vocabulary of urban construction to ultimate geometric simplification (purely formal and metaphysical). However, the most fascinating modality of expression is to be found in the High-Tech movement as illustrated by Norman Foster or Michael Hopkins. By employing modalities and methods pertaining to state-of-the-art technology (considered the only indisputable fact in a world torn apart by uncertainties) as formal pretext and support of the discourse, this movement proposes an amazingly coherent and perfectionist language, deemed by authors to be the only shield available to the creator in a world of crumbling values. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 91

92 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space The classics of American Post-Modernism of the sixth and seventh decades Venturi, Moore, Jencks, Stern may be confidently included in the formalist movement, due to their explicit and coherent use of philological models and the particular attention paid to maintaining their prolix and highly elevated language on a strictly self-referential level. Among the architects equally embracing both such visions the fundamentalist and the formalist one one can identify impressive, enigmatic personalities. A classical example, which exceeds, however, the scope of our research, confined to the XXth century, is that of Germany s grand architect, Shinkel. Drawn with the same intensity in opposite directions, offering perfect works in both cases, he was unable to either choose between or harmonize them and succumbed literally to the insurmountable tension (as he was not an eclectic). Our century boasts the strange personality of Adolf Loos, representative for Viennese culture, a friend of Karl Kraus and Wittgenstein s. Like the latter, who concludes his famous «Tractatus» by stating that «It definitely exists, the unutterable» and adding: «About things that cannot be discussed we must keep silent», Loos is aware of an ontological dimension to architecture, but considers Time and the existing formal tools to be inappropriate for the expression contemplated by him. He proposes a voluntary limitation of the use made of the «real nature» in favor of a cultural therapy through discipline and methodological vigor of languages considered obsolete and redundant (Ornament and Crime), voicing a standpoint that would be brilliantly presented later by H. Hesse in The Glass Bead Game. A particular category is represented by contemporary Japanese architects, who, serenely and without conflicts, produce works permeated with metaphysics and fundamentalist Zen techniques, full of references to highly formalist Western techniques, and whose texts abound in lengthy quotes from Barthes, Derrida, Lévi Strauss. There is also the unutterable tragedy of Louis Kahn, who all his life made his painstaking way towards what he thought to be the luminous heart of the real, without ever managing to find it. His work, an immense endeavor that has remained unanswered, has 92

93 become, on account of its discipline, a formalist reference. As for the rest, the majority who fill the pages of magazines, the streets of the city, the conference rooms, and put forward complex reference systems, their gestures could be easily accounted for by the fact that they lack clear options. It is easier to be complicated From our point of view, they could be classified into: architects following the mainstream trends, models and conventions; architects seeking public support the so-called architecture of participation, which claims that an extensive dialogue with the future inhabitants is in itself the only guarantee of success; architects who resort to traditions, to individual or collective models, and who thus, by choosing a model, avoid making a choice themselves. Instead of an ending conclusion, let me note a strange fact: the differences of orientation (formalism-fundamentalism), which basically come down to accepting or not accepting «alterity» (and the final identification with it), do not necessarily lead to difference at the level of the built works. A common spirit pervades the works of architects dedicated to an era, so that it is often difficult to tell a suprematist from a constructivist, a purist from a high-tech advocate, a minimalist from a typologist. This identity which transcends intentions can be accounted for by means of several explanatory scenarios. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI A. Natural Explanations: continuity of the professional environment and of the specific cultural messages; unity of theoretical and practical references; identity of the issues addressed: specificity, habitation, the city as a synthesis of civilization, the ambiance of the human community. B. No Explanation C. One Sole Explanation, which I am not sure I can put into words: An evaluation of the doctrinal contrast and paradoxical convergence between formalists and fundamentalists (categories 93

94 transcending schools and affiliations, stylistic and circumstantial labels) may open, in our opinion, a more natural way towards understanding the cultural concerns of this century. Selective bibliography: Books: 1. Rudolf Steiner 2. Christopher Alexander 3. S. Chan-Magomedow 4. N. Pevsner 5. Bruno Zevi 6. Peter Betthausen 7. C. G. Jung, Vers un style nouveau en architecture, Ed. Triades, Paris 8. A Pattern Language, Oxford Univ. Press 9. Pioniere der sowjetischen Architektur, Verlag der Kunst, Bresden 10. Pionieers of modern design, Penguin books, London 11. Giulio Sinaudi, Storia dell architettura moderna 12. Karl Friedrich Schinkel 13. Svanos, Der mensh und seine symbole Magazines: 1. «Architecture d Aujourd hui», February, 1986, Norman Foster 2. «Architecture d Aujourd hui», June, 1984, Métamorphoses Zaha Hadid profile 3. «Japan Architect» magazine collection Ioan Andreescu, 1987 Translation: Claudia Rada

95 Despre alteritate \n arhitectur` Ipotez` despre «spa]iul total» IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Muzeul ca precedent Nu \ntåmpl`tor, muzeul este poarta de intrare \n acest inedit domeniu: spa]iul total. Muzeul devine, c`tre acest sfår[it de secol XX, o structur` aparte, o modalitate privilegiat` a experien]ei umane; de fapt, el se \ncarc` cu aspira]ii [i dorin]e ce erau preluate, pe vremuri, de alte activit`]i. N`scut \n forma sa tradi]ional` la \nceputul secolului al XIX-lea, ca urmare a triumfului spiritului [tiin]ific [i a concep]iei despre istorie ca devenire orientat` (Hegel, Darwin), muzeul se prezint` ca o lume coerent` de obiecte [i semne, spa]ii [i trasee, organizate dup` criteriile unei demonstra]ii. Considerat la un moment dat mijlocul secolului ca fiind o institu]ie perimat`, muzeul este, azi, mai dinamic decåt oricånd. Num`rul muzeelor cre[te galopant \n toat` lumea. De asemenea, [i complexitatea inser]iei lor \n cotidian (educa]ie permanent`, loisir, hobby, terapie, destindere, etc.). n fapt acoper` multe alte roluri, muzeul contemporan acoper` dou` func]ii majore: Pune insul \n rela]ie cu «alteritatea», adic` \l pune \n rela]ie cu ceea ce este «diferit». Operånd decupaje \n real, muzeele prezint` fragmente coerente de lumi diferite fa]` de experien]a cotidian` fie c` e vorba despre trecut, despre spa]iul cosmic, natur`, art`, etc. Intensific` experien]a uman`, f`cånd insul sensibil la rela]ie, complexitate, dialog prin raportarea la medii concentrate. Muzeul este un loc «tare» al experien]ei cotidiene. n \ncercarea de a satisface aceste func]ii, trei caracteristici noi se manifest` \n edificarea muzeelor, [i anume: 1. O exasperare formal`, o fr`måntare arhitectural`, care fac din edificiul muzeului un discurs spectaculos \n sine. Se caut` ineditul, diferen]ierea, dar cu ajutorul mijloacelor tradi]ionale ale arhitectului. 95

96 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban E o febricitate ca aceea a muzicienilor romantismului tårziu, care, ne\ndr`znind a p`r`si reprezent`rile armonice tradi]ionale, for]au limbajul s` exprime «diferitul, straniul». 2. C`utarea deliberat` a stratific`rilor. O coaj` mare, inedit` fa]` de specificul muzeului (grajd, fabric` veche, palat eviscerat, depozit) este con]in`torul general. Exponatele [i obiectele legate direct de ele [i de traseul de vizitare sunt de alt` factur`: moderne, simple, aproape de sensibilitatea contemporan` ele asigur` contrapunctul anvelopei. 3. Tendin]a ancorat` \n muta]iile produse de trecerea la era informaticii [i a noilor medii de fuzionare \ntre spa]iu [i tematic` \n scopul «totaliz`rii» ambian]ei. Se creeaz` un mediu consistent, diferit de experien]a cotidian`, un «exterior» \n care vizitatorul devine un Robinson intrat \ntr-o lume fabuloas`. Beneficiul major const` \n colorarea afectiv` a experien]ei, dar, mai ales, \n con[tientizarea faptului c` exist` [i alte dimensiuni ale realului dincolo de cotidianul banal, c` lumea, de fapt, este o «lume de lumi». Sec]ia pentru copii a Gr`dinii zoologice din Philadelphia (R. Venturi) este un spa]iu semnificativ \n acest sens: plante, insecte [i animale, mult m`rite, invadeaz` spa]iul. Sunetul, lumina, mirosurile, mi[c`rile definesc o ambian]` halucinant`. Copiii se transpun frenetic, adopt` comport`ri caracteristice mediului ecologic, \n]eleg un univers paralel. La fel, \n Muzeul Filmului, la Frankfurt, \n volumul central, rotit fa]` de axele casei [i plonjat \n obscuritate, plutesc la diverse \n`l]imi fragmente de decor, m`[ti, personaje [i aparate eviden]iate prin lumin` punctual`. Atmosfera ireal` sluje[te scopul: omagierea cinematografului, ca lume a imaginarului. Anatomia insulei spa]iul total Oricåt de \ndr`zne] sau de inedit, un spa]iu creat prin mijloacele tradi]ionale ale arhitectului poart`, \n textura sa, firul banalit`]ii ]esut de uzan]e, antropometrie, utilitate, economie, standarde. Oricåt de inspirate ar fi altera]iile impuse elementelor, semnifica]ia e captiv` \n propria sa generare. Insula lui Robinson este altceva. Ea este un mediu complet [i 96

97 complex, \n care niciun element sau corela]ie nu a fost creat explicit, pe m`sura [i pentru uzul omului ce ajunge s` o ocupe. n dialog cu acest tip diferit de realitate, Robinson creeaz` tehnici, instrumente, mijloace adecvate propriilor dimensiuni [i scopuri el intr` \n rela]ie cu ambientul, \mbog`]indu-se [i \mbog`]indu-l (semantic). Cercetånd eu \nsumi felul \n care un muzeu ecologic ar putea s` se organizeze ca experien]`, am izolat dou` caracteristici definitorii cred ale acestuia: 1. Inversiunea «metodologic`» a raportului subiect obiect, r`sturnarea a[ez`rii fire[ti a utilizatorului fa]` de spa]iu. Acest lucru \nseamn` definirea unui ambient care nu este legat evident de scara, utilitatea [i obi[nuin]ele perceptive ale utilizatorului. Spa]iul global este o entitate coerent`; fie abstract sau naturalist, la sc`ri distorsionate sau reale, firesc sau aberant, el trebuie considerat ca un spa]iu \n sine, astfel \ncåt prima impresie a vizitatorului s` fie a diferen]ei fa]` de cotidian. El se va sim]i precum oceanograful plonjat \n ocean sau speologul \ntr-o pe[ter`, adic` un c`l`tor \ntr-un alt univers. De fapt, \n universul imaginarului, fanteziei [i intui]iei materializate. 2. Compozi]ia stratificat`. n mod normal, semnifica]ia unui astfel de spa]iu nu se na[te decåt prin stratificare. Exist` un con]in`tor global, edificat special sau ob]inut prin altera]ii ale unor entit`]i existente, exist` elementele definitorii ale ambian]ei statice [i mobile ritm, mi[c`ri, evolu]ii, exist` elementele de am`nunt (de exemplu, \n cadrul ambientului natural, relieful, peisajul [i apoi plantele, animalele, lumina etc.). Stratul final [i, de fapt, cel care face posibil` \ntreaga dialectic` a sistemului este cel legat de prezen]a [i activitatea omului. Acest component este uman, uzual, utilitar: con]ine obiecte, gesturi, ac]iuni, tehnici. Suprapunånd ambientului global, elementele ce definesc prezen]a [i traseul omului se amorseaz` semnifica]ia \ntregului ansamblu numit spa]iu «total»: \ntålnirea a dou` modalit`]i, a dou` lumi atåt de diferite dar intim legate a cotidianului, a utilitarului [i cea a imaginarului, a intui]iei prezentate nu fragmentar, ci printr-un model consistent. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 97

98 Deschideri Prin eviden]ierea [i eventual operarea distinct` a celor dou` componente majore ale spa]iului «total»: ambiental` [i (general) utilitar`, se poate produce o «deblocare» imaginativ` a urm`toarelor efecte: Imaginarul, intui]ia, deschiderea se pot manifesta f`r` multe dintre echivocurile [i compromisurile prezente; Elementele ac]iunii cotidiene, de utilit`]i, se degaj` de povara unor elemente de a[a-zis` semnifica]ie superioar`. Ele se reg`sesc \n simplitate [i eficien]`, c`ci semnifica]ia se na[te prin rela]ia \ntre aceste componente [i ambient: o metafor`, de fapt, a \ntregii ac]iuni umane. Ca model deocamdat` mental spa]iul «total» este un bun instrument de lucru. El ofer` cåteva posibilit`]i surprinz`tor de eficiente \n studierea: Calit`]ilor [i semnifica]iei spa]iilor; Efectelor alter`rii unor elemente \n generarea de semnifica]ii [i cu organizarea ambientelor (adic` a spa]iilor cu grad \nalt de semnificare coerent`); Gener`rii de ambiente consistente, capabile de impact asupra indivizilor [i grupurilor; Efectului ac]iunii umane asupra ambientelor, na[terii de noi semnifica]ii datorit` acesteia; Jocului complex al semnific`rii \n ansambluri eterogene (elemente de ambian]`, om [i activit`]i umane), etc. O gramatic` [i o semantic` ar putea fi schi]ate. Dar efectul cel mai de seam` al studiului spa]iului «total» ar putea fi desc`tu[area creativit`]ii [i \mbog`]irea experien]ei umane, prin reluarea \n cadrul edific`rii a dialogului cu un «eu» mai profund. Ioan Andreescu (Text publicat ini]ial \n revista «Arhitectura», nr. 6 / 1987)

99 On Alterity in Architecture Hypothesis on the Total Space IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI The Museum as a Precedent It is not by accident that the museum is the gateway to this unique field: the total space. The museum has become, towards the end of this XXth century, a structure of its own, a privileged modality of human experience; it is laden with aspirations and wishes which were once specific to other activities. Coming into being in its traditional form at the beginning of the XIXth century, following the triumph of the scientific spirit and of the theory which saw history as oriented becoming (Hegel, Darwin), the museum appears as a coherent world of objects and signs, spaces and routes, organized according to the criteria of a demonstration. Considered at some point, namely, around the mid-century, to be an obsolete institution, the museum is today more dynamic than ever. The number of museums is increasing at a fast pace all over the world, and so is the complexity of their insertion in our daily life as forms of permanent education, leisure time spending, hobbies, therapy, recreation etc. Basically although it has many other roles the contemporary museum fulfills two major functions: It places the individual in a relationship with «alterity», i.e. with something that is «different». The museums perform cut-outs in the real world and then present these coherent fragments of worlds which are different from our daily experience, be they from the past, the cosmic space, nature, art etc. It intensifies human experience, causing the individual to become more sensitive to relations, to complexity and dialogue by merging in a concentrated environment. The museum is a «solid» place of daily experience. 99

100 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space In an attempt to fulfill these functions, three new traits have begun to characterize the construction of museums, namely: 1. A formal exasperation, an architectural turmoil which is turning the museum into a spectacular discourse in itself. What is sought after is the unusual, differentiation, however, with the help of the architect s traditional means. It is a fervent endeavor much like that characterizing late Romanticism musicians, who, lacking the courage to leave behind the traditional harmonic representation, forced the language into expressing «the different, the strange». 2. A deliberate search for layering structure. A huge shell, contrasting with the specific nature of the museum (shed, old factory, eviscerated palace, warehouse) is the general container, while the exhibits and the objects directly connected to them and to the visiting route are of a different kind: modern, simple, akin to contemporary sensitivity, they appropriately counterbalance the envelope. 3. The tendency anchored in the mutations caused by the transition to the era of information technology and new media of fusion between the space and the themes, with the purpose of «totalizing» the ambiance. A consistent environment is created, different from daily experience, an «exterior» in which the visitor becomes a Robinson entering a fabulous world. The major benefit would be that experience becomes emotionally colored, but especially that awareness is raised with respect to other dimensions of reality existing beyond trite every day life, to the world being in fact «a world containing worlds». The children s section of the Zoological Garden in Philadelphia (R. Venturi) is a significant space in this respect: plants, insects and large-scale animal representations invade the space. The sound, the light, the scents, the movements define a hallucinating ambiance. Children reposition themselves in this world frenetically, adopt behaviors which are characteristic of the ecological environment, understand the parallel universe. Likewise, in the building of the Museum of Film, in Frankfurt, in the central volume rotated in relation to the axes of the house and plunged in obscurity, there float, at several heights, fragments of the setting, masks, characters and appliances set off by punctual 100

101 light. The unreal atmosphere serves the purpose: to honor the cinema as world of the imaginary. The Anatomy of the Island the Total Space However audacious or unusual, a space created by resorting to traditional architectural means conceals a thread of banality in its fabric, interwoven by usages, anthropometry, utility, economics, standards. However inspired the alterations brought to the elements might be, the significance is captive in what generated it. Robinson s island, on the other hand, is something else. It is a complete and complex environment, where no element and no correlation have been explicitly created to the measure and for the use of the human being that happened to occupy it. Engaged in a dialogue with this different type of reality, Robinson creates techniques, instruments, tools appropriate for his own dimensions and purposes he engages in a relation with the ambiance, enriching it (semantically), as well as himself. After I myself have made some research into the manner in which an ecological museum might organize itself as an experience, I have identified two of its most defining, in my opinion, characteristics: 1. The «methodological» inversion of the relationship between subject and object, an overturn of the natural position assumed by the user with respect to the space. This means defining an ambiance that is not connected obviously to the scale, utility and perceptive habits of the user. Global space is a coherent entity; be it abstract or naturalist, on a distorted or real scale, natural or anomalous, it has to be considered a space in itself, so that the visitor s first impression be that of difference from daily surroundings. He will feel like a marine biologist plunging in the depth of the ocean or like the speleologist in a cave, i.e. a traveler to another universe, in fact, the universe of the imaginary, fantasy and materialized intuition. 2. Layered composition. Normally, the significance of such a space can only arise through layering. There is a global container, erected for this purpose only or obtained by alterations of existing entities, there are the defining elements of the static and mobile IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 101

102 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space ambiance rhythm, movements, evolutions, there are the details (for instance, inside the natural ambiance, the forms of terrain, the landscape, then the plant life, the animals, the light etc.). The final layer which is equally the one rendering possible the entire dialectic of the system is linked to man s presence and activity. This component is human, usual, utilitarian: it contains objects, gestures, actions, techniques. By merging the global ambiance and the elements which define man s presence and existence, the significance of the entire whole referred to as the «total space» is revealed: the meeting of two modalities, of two worlds so radically different, and at the same time so intimately connected the daily, utilitarian world, and the world of the imaginary, of intuition presented not as a fragment, but through a consistent model. Openings The emphasis on, and possibly the distinct operation of the two major components of the «total space», i.e. the ambient and the (general) utilitarian one can trigger an imaginary «unblocking» of the following effects: The imaginary, the intuition, the opening can express themselves free of the many current equivocal attitudes and compromises; The elements of the daily, utilitarian action detach themselves from the burden of some elements of alleged superior significance. They assert their newly found essence in simplicity and efficiency, because significance is born through the relation between such components and the ambiance: a metaphor, in fact, of human action. As a model a mental one, for the time being «total space» is an appropriate working tool. It offers several, surprisingly efficient possibilities to study: The qualities and significance of spaces; The effects of altering certain elements in the process of generating significances and organizing ambiances (i.e. spaces with a high degree of coherent significance); The generation of consistent ambiances, able to have an impact on individuals and groups; The effect of human action on ambiances, the birth of new 102

103 significances as a result thereof; The complex play of signifying in heterogeneous ensembles (elements of ambiance, man and human activities), etc. One could outline a grammar and a semantics. However, the most remarkable effect of a study of the «total space» could be unleashing creativity and enriching human experience, by resuming, during the process of edification, the dialogue with a more profound «ego». IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Ioan Andreescu Translation: Claudia Rada (The article was initially published in issue no. 6 / 1987 of «Arhitectura» magazine) 103

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105 Originile spirituale ale arhitecturii moderniste IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Arhitectura modernist` [i avangardist` a fost mult timp prezentat` ca fiind realizarea cea mai \nsemnat` a Filozofiei Iluministe [i ca imaginea perfect` a noii societ`]i industriale [i [tiin]ifice eliberate de supersti]ie [i dedicate fericirii maselor largi. Arhitectura modernist` a fost descris` ca fiind ra]ional`, materialist`, tehnologic`, igienic`, simpl`, eficient`, universal`, orientat` spre viitor. Criticii s`i au eviden]iat ceea ce ei au considerat a fi punctele ei slabe: simplificare excesiv`, propagare \n mas`, lips` de sensibilitate pentru «genius loci», lipsa «expresiei», s`r`cie formal` etc. Nimeni nu a ]inut seama \n mod serios de un anumit aspect al activit`]ii pionierilor [i mae[trilor mi[c`rii moderne, aspect care este men]ionat cu claritate \n c`r]ile acestora [i poate fi identificat cu u[urin]` \n lucr`rile lor: lupta pentru o nou` arhitectur` trebuia s` fie nu numai un mod de a adapta arta cl`dirii la valorile unei noi societ`]i [i ale unei noi economii, ci [i o \ncercare de a reinstaura valorile spirituale, chiar mistice, \ntr-o societate \n schimbare. Ei considerau c` arhitectura trebuie s` \ntruchipeze valorile unei «existen]e superioare» care este cea «adev`rat`» din punct de vedere spiritual. Misticul [i filozoful rus Berdiaev a exprimat aceast` necesitate \ntr-o faimoas` carte scris` \n 1916, Sensul Crea]iei: «n orice demers artistic s`l`[luie[te o nou` lume, un cosmos care este creat, o lume liber`. Crusta se desprinde de pe fa]a universului... Inten]ia oric`rei crea]ii este aceea de a edifica o alt` existen]`, o alt` via]`, p`trunderea prin aceast` lume \ntr-o alta, liber` [i sublim`» (voia s` spun`: divin`) (1). Din nefericire, acest ]el era prea \nalt pentru a fi atins \n limitele artei [i ale culturii, astfel \ncåt «Marele Proiect» a fost dat 105

106 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban uit`rii, \n pofida faptului c` operele \nc` mai exist`, iar casele sunt admirate la scar` larg`. La sfår[itul secolului al XIX-la [i \nceputul secolului al XX-lea are loc o intensificare a scepticismului [i a spiritului [tiin]ific care submineaz` «fundamentele credin]ei». n acela[i timp, se produce o sc`dere dramatic` a interesului pentru formele tradi]ionale ale vie]ii spirituale, cum ar fi biserica oficial`. Necesitatea de a contrabalansa aceste tendin]e prin c`utarea unor noi forme de via]` spiritual` a devenit evident`. A crescut interesul pentru religiile [i misticismul asiatic, pentru ocultism [i spiritualism [i s-a \nregistrat o cre[tere impresionant` a num`rului [i denumirilor sectelor. Mo[tenirea durabil` a acelei epoci se reg`se[te \n teozofie, antropologie [i \n interesul ren`scut pentru spiritualitatea cre[tin ortodox` [i pentru doctrinele mistice evreie[ti. Toate aceste doctrine [i practici au avut un impact considerabil asupra intelighen]iei a[a-numitei perioade simbolizante de la sfår[itul secolului. Arti[ti, arhitec]i, muzicieni, romancieri, poe]i [i filozofi au fost influen]a]i de acea c`utare a unei vie]i spirituale re\nnoite. Ace[tia admirau mai ales a[a-numita cunoa[tere mistic`, tr`irea direct` a realit`]ii ultime [i posibilitatea de a-[i g`si propriile gesturi creatoare [i acel tip de revela]ie interioar`. Oamenii pe care \i numim ast`zi pionieri sau mae[tri ai arhitecturii moderne nu constituiau excep]ii. Mistic \nseamn`, \nainte de toate, \ntors spre interior, secret. Provine din grecesul «myo» care semnific` «a-[i \nchide ochii, a-[i astupa urechile, a \nchide gura, a fi ini]iat \ntr-un cult secret». Experien]a mistic`, \n orice epoc`, este o experien]` interioar` [i const` \n dezv`luirea «omului interior» \n opozi]ie cu cel «exterior». Acest tip de experien]` ajut` la descoperirea t`råmului interior, dup` cum afirm` Berdiaev: «Cufundarea mistic` \n sine este \nainte de toate o cale de sc`pare, o evadare dincolo de grani]e» (2). Putem presupune c` un mistic este o persoan` care \ncearc` s` dep`[easc`, cu ajutorul experien]ei sale interioare, limitele existen]ei umane [i se orienteaz` c`tre ceva sau cineva aflat dincolo de «linia orizontului». A fi mistic \nseamn`, de asemenea, a fi capabil s` percepi efectiv acel obiect sau acea persoan`. 106

107 Exist` multe tehnici, [coli [i moduri de ob]inere a acestei experien]e. Fiecare religie important` sau categorie spiritual` are propria sa «mistic`». ns` dincolo de grani]e [i diferen]e, niciun efort mistic nu poate fi considerat: ira]ional [i contrar logicii. Este o experien]` vie a «existentului», a prezen]ei «realit`]ii ultime»; pur eficient` sau sentimental`. Angajeaz` \ntreaga personalitate a omului, concentrat` \n a[a-numita «vatr`», miezul fiin]ei; este dedicat` celor speciali, celor ale[i. Prin utilizarea unor mijloace corespunz`toare, aproape oricine se poate angaja \n acea experien]`; non-real`, produs al imagina]iei, fanteziei. Mae[trii spirituali ofer` sfaturi \n sensul refuz`rii oric`ror imagini primite, al oric`ror idoli [i iluzii individuale sau colective. «Mistic potrivit filozofului francez Claude Trésmontant \nseamn` cunoa[terea Cauzei, a Principiului, a Motivului [i a Sensului» (3). Caracteristicile distinctive ale misticismului epocii moderne sunt natura sa profund individualist` [i respingerea dogmelor [i a simbolurilor tradi]ionale. Potrivit marelui maestru Krishnamurti: «Revolta este esen]ial` pentru a te elibera de \ngustimea tradi]iei... Dac` vrei s` cuno[ti adev`rul, trebuie s` te eliberezi de c`r]i, teorii, zei, supersti]ii...» (4). Berdiaev arat` \n aceea[i direc]ie: «Dogmele [i tradi]iile mor [i se degradeaz`, devenind o autoritate pur exterioar` atunci cånd \[i pierd r`d`cinile mistice...» (5). Elemente consistente ale unei atitudini mistice fa]` de arhitectur` se reg`sesc [i \n operele mae[trilor moderni[ti, sus]in`tori ai luptei \mpotriva tradi]iei. I. n primul rånd, trebuie luat` \n considerare credin]a lor \n caracterul profetic [i sacru al arhitecturii. Exercitarea spiritualcon[tient` a artei poate ajuta la descoperirea realit`]ilor profunde [i la \mbog`]irea vie]ii zilnice. Rudolf Steiner, filozof mistic german, arhitect [i scriitor, a apelat la paradigma nucii: «Pe de o parte exist` nuca, pe de alt` parte, exist` miezul de nuc`. Miezul de nuc` nu este simbolul nucii. Este f`cut din aceea[i substan]` ca [i nuca. Numai \n acest fel IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 107

108 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban cl`direa devine \nveli[ul care acoper` spiritul cu forme [i culori. Fiecare stil n`scut din spirit este, la råndul s`u, un Weltanschauung» (6). Pentru Le Corbusier, arta era «o crea]ie pur` a spiritului». n cartea sa Un Testament, Frank Lloyd Wright «a rezumat for]ele \ntrebuin]ate pentru realizarea operei sale [i a tuturor formelor m`re]e de art` a[a cum le vedea el» (7). Ultimul capitol era dedicat luminii interioare a umanit`]ii, esen]a suprem` a artei sale: «Aceast` lumin` interioar` reprezint` asigurarea faptului c` Arhitectura, Arta [i Religia umanit`]ii sunt \ntr-un fel unul [i acela[i lucru emblemele sale simbolice. A[adar, putem denumi umanitatea \ns`[i lumina care nu se stinge niciodat`». n alt` parte, \n acela[i capitol, afirm` urm`toarele: «To]i vin s` se hr`neasc` sau s` fie hr`ni]i de aceast` lumin` de nestins din sufletul omului... Din leag`n pån` \n mormånt adev`rata sa fiin]` tånje[te dup` aceast` realitate pentru a asigura continuarea vie]ii sale ca Lumina de dup`.» (8). Avangardele germane de la \nceputul anilor 20 au sim]it nevoia de a ini]ia procesul sacru de construire drept semn c` se aflau \n c`utarea noii lor spiritualit`]i. «Cel mai important lucru pare a fi... cl`direa unei case ideale a lui Dumnezeu... Nu trebuie s` a[tept`m pån` cånd o nou` religiozitate ne ia \n st`pånire, deoarece este posibil ca ea s` ne a[tepte pe noi tot a[a cum [i noi o a[tept`m pe ea.» (J. Behme 1919) (9). Acela[i sentiment a fost \mp`rt`[it de c`tre pionierii avangardei ruse, \n special de c`tre supremati[ti. n eseul s`u din 1920, «Suprematist angajat \n reconstruc]ia Lumii», Lissitzky prezint` viziunea sa asupra P`tratului Negru ca fiind «vestitorul unei noi ere cosmice. Pentru noi, Suprematist nu semnifica recunoa[terea unei forme absolute care f`cea parte dintr-un sistem universal deja finalizat. Dimpotriv`, aici ni se dezv`luia pentru prima dat` \n toat` puritatea sa semnul clar [i planul unei lumi noi bine conturate... [i care nu mai fusese niciodat` tr`it` \nainte o lume care eman` din propria noastr` fiin]` l`untric`» (10). Pentru influentul profesor [i pictor al mi[c`rii Bauhaus, Paul Klee, Arta nu ne ofer` vizibilul, dar ne dezv`luie invizibilul (11). Chiar [i Mies van der Rohe afirma r`spicat: «Arhitectura este adev`ratul cåmp de b`t`lie al spiritului». 108

109 Pentru Louis Kahn «Arhitectura nu are prezen]`. O oper` este o ofrand` adus` Sanctuarului» (12). Alvar Aalto considera, de asemenea, c` «O dat` cu trecerea timpului, spiritualul trebuie s` dep`[easc` materia» (13). II. Mae[trii moderni[ti au acordat o deosebit` importan]` «miezului interior», «vetrei» ca substan]` intim` a muncii lor. Acel miez intim, «foc» mistic sau «vid» \nzestrat cu darul «expansiunii nelimitate» era, evident, spa]iul interior al casei. Pentru Frank Lloyd Wright, descoperirea miezului interior a fost un act eliberator: «De acum \ncolo arhitectura va fi liber`». Extinderea spa]iului interior constituia adev`ratul sens al faimoasei zicale: «spa]iul interior a devenit realitatea cl`dirii» (14). Le Corbusier vorbe[te aproape ca un maestru spiritual despre spa]iul interior al vilei Savoy: «Aerul (respira]ia) circul` peste tot, lumina se afl` \n orice punct, penetreaz` totul... planul este pur» (15). III. Respectul pentru natur`, de vreme ce, dup` cum afirm` Wright: «natura este tot ceea ce vom cunoa[te vreodat` din f`ptura lui Dumnezeu». Creatorul se contope[te cu crea]ia sa, iar arhitectului c`ruia i s-a \ncredin]at sarcina de a da la iveal` rela]iile dintre microcosmos [i macrocosmos face parte din armonia universal`. Pentru Alvar Aalto, natura era «\nsu[i simbolul libert`]ii. Natura poate genera [i proteja ideea de libertate. Dac` ne \ntemeiem tehnicile pe natur`, vom putea s` dirij`m dezvoltarea c`tre o mai mare libertate a muncii [i vie]ii noastre» (16). Natura ofer` marele model al dezvolt`rii «organice», a[a-numitul Principiu al metamorfozei, descoperit de Goethe [i elaborat ulterior de Rudolf Steiner. Conform acestui principiu, toate formele sunt deduse din schimb`rile elementelor de baz`. Pentru a ob]ine o anumit` form`, trebuie s` treci elementul de baz` printr-o succesiune stabilit` de schimb`ri, iar pe parcursul acestui proces, for]ele necesare vor interveni. Goethe a descoperit principiul \n timp ce observa plantele. Elementul de baz` era frunza, iar plecånd de la acesta, se putea construi \ntreaga plant` [i se putea deduce totul din aranjarea spa]ial` \n func]ie de orarul procesului de cre[tere. Acest principiu a devenit baza arhitecturii «organice» europene. Steiner \nsu[i l-a folosit \n timpul construc]iei faimosului IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 109

110 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban s`u Goetheanum din Dornach: «Nu existau motive extraordinare \n anumite loca]ii; fiecare detaliu era conceput \n a[a fel \ncåt s` se potriveasc` loca]iei sale specifice, tot a[a cum cea mai mic` parte dintr-un organism viu, este \n acela[i timp, [i strict individual`, [i capabil` s`-[i dezv`luie propria structur` ascuns` numai \n stråns` leg`tur` cu pozi]ia sa \n \ntreg» (17). n mod oarecum paradoxal, atitudinea mistic` fa]` de natur` a condus la unele orient`ri moderne abstracte. Pentru Paul Klee, influent pictor [i profesor al [colii Bauhaus, discipolul care studiaz` natura ajunge, mai devreme sau mai tårziu, pe t`råmul abstractului: «Progresul \nregistrat de student \n studiul [i \n contemplarea naturii \l ajut`, pe m`sur` ce evolueaz` c`tre un Weltanschauung superior, s` genereze structuri libere [i imagini abstracte care \l poart` \n afara schematismului c`tre o nou` natur`» (18). Tendin]ele \mp`r]ite \ntre abstract [i organic \[i au, de fapt, originea \n aceea[i atitudine spiritual` fa]` de natur`. Max Ernst a afirmat cu claritate absoluta similaritate dintre cele dou` \n faimosul s`u tablou «Vox celesta». Suprafa]a tabloului este \mp`r]it` de o gril` abstract` \n ale c`rei p`trate sunt reprezentate fie imagini organice, fie simboluri abstracte. Cel pu]in dou` principii majore ale arhitecturii moderniste datoreaz` foarte mult acestei preocup`ri fa]` de natur`: cultul materialelor naturale [i utilizarea fiec`rui material \n func]ie de calit`]ile sale proprii cele mai \nsemnate [i fuziunea dintre lumea l`untric` [i cealalt` lume. Potrivit lui Aalto: «principala sarcin` a arhitecturii este de a asigura mijloacele unei unit`]i organice dintre cl`dire [i natur`» (19). IV. «Transparen]a» cl`dirii [i continuitatea dintre forme, structuri, func]ii. Exist` un precept mistic potrivit c`ruia nicio \ntrerupere [i niciun obstacol nu trebuie s` existe \ntre gåndurile, lumile [i faptele unei personalit`]i evoluate din punct de vedere spiritual. n acela[i timp, \ntre minte, suflet [i corp trebuie s` domneasc` o armonie [i o «transparen]`» perfecte. Microcosmosul reflect` macrocosmosul, iar aceea[i continuitate se reg`se[te [i \ntre principiile fundamentale care guverneaz` universul [i \ntruchiparea lor fizic` [i uman`. 110

111 De aici, obsesia arhitec]ilor moderni[ti pentru transparen]a revelatoare [i admira]ia lor pentru sticl` ca \ntruchipare direct` a principiului. «Sticla este cea care ne duce \n noua er`», «F`r` un palat de sticl`, via]a devine o povar`», «Sticla colorat` distruge ura», sus]ine avangardistul german din anii 20, Paul Scheerbart. «Arhitectura din sticl` va aduce o nou` cultur`», afirm` prietenul s`u apropiat, Adolf Behne (20). Evident, exist` [i o defini]ie mai subtil` a transparen]ei. Pentru Steiner, pere]ii crea]iei sale, Goetheanum «erau, artistic vorbind, transparen]i. Inten]ia nu era ca ace[tia s` blocheze perspectiva asupra lumii, ci s` direc]ioneze privirea, prin intermediul unei concentr`ri artistice, \n a[a fel \ncåt spectatorul s` se poat` identifica cu Adåncimea universului» (21), ceea ce \nseamn`, evident, c` peretele era transparent din punct de vedere spiritual, dar solid din punct de vedere fizic. V. Articularea onest` a formei, simplitatea, abordarea direct` [i, evident, respingerea ambiguit`]ilor, toate acestea deriv` din preceptele care guverneaz` acea disciplin` interioar` pe care [i-o impune un mistic. La fel este cazul [i cu gestul «func]ional», economia de mijloace [i obiectivitatea. VI. Preocuparea cu numerele, standardele [i sistemele de propor]ii. {tim c` exist` o «mistic` a num`rului» (Matila C. Ghyka) [i c` sistemele de propor]ii ar trebui s` reflecte armonia secret` a universului. Num`rul une[te microcosmosul [i macrocosmosul, ca \n Modulatorul lui Le Corbusier, un sistem de propor]ii bazat pe m`sur`torile corpului uman [i pe Propor]ia Divin`. Este universal [i la fel de eficient la orice scar`: «Modulatorul este o m`rturie a armoniei inerente acestui tip de dimensiuni», scrie Le Corbusier f`cånd referire la Unitatea de locuit din Marsilia. O piatr` unghiular`, reprezentånd Modulatorul, a fost instalat` lång` intrarea \n Unitatea de locuit. Pentru arhitect, acest gest era foarte important: «Acest grup este \n mod indisputabil inspirat de o unitate matematic`; acestea sunt momentele \n care arhitectura se ridic` la cer, l`sånd \n urm` ceea ce este brutal [i material [i IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 111

112 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban atingånd spiritualitatea. Din nou, un simplu tablou la fel ca cel reprodus aici con]ine esen]a armoniei» (22). VII. Idealul Gesamtkunstwerk arhitectura ca sintez` a artelor, casa ca oper` complet`. Aceasta provine, f`r` \ndoial`, din percep]ia casei ca microcosmos [i «imago» al macrocosmosului, al universului complet. n aceast` interpretare, casa este complet` atunci cånd este \nzestrat` [i cu ornamente (evident, organice), finisaje, culori, lumini [i peisaje. Cåteva observa]ii despre unii arhitec]i [i mi[c`ri moderniste vor arunca mai mult` lumin` asupra acestui extrem de vast subiect. Numele au fost alese la \ntåmplare, deoarece lucr`rile aproape fiec`rui grup important revel` acela[i adev`r tulbur`tor: experien]a modern` \n arhitectur` \[i are sorgintea \n preocup`ri spirituale care se reg`sesc [i \n epoca noastr`. Bruno Taut [i «Stadtkrone» n anii care au urmat Primului R`zboi Mondial, Bruno Taut [i un grup entuziast de arti[ti [i arhitec]i avangardi[ti germani au fost implica]i \n mai multe activit`]i complexe: politic` (Novembergruppe), organizarea mi[c`rilor de avangard` (Die Brücke), expozi]ii (Arhitectul necunoscut). n centrul activit`]ilor sale s-a aflat lupta pentru o nou` arhitectur` impregnat` de valorile spiritului. Pentru el, arhitectura constituia o «radia]ie a spiritului». Era obsedat de lumin`, forme cristaline [i sursele l`untrice de inspira]ie. mpreun` cu prietenii s`i, [i-a exprimat energia \ntr-o serie de scrisori intitulat` «Lan]ul de sticl`». Au scos [i o revist`, «Frühlicht» (Lumina Dimine]ii). ntr-una dintre scrisorile apar]inånd «Lan]ului», Hans Sharoun afirma: «Trebuie s` cre`m \n acela[i mod \n care sångele str`bunilor no[tri a provocat valuri de creativitate [i vom fi mul]umi]i dac` suntem noi \n[ine capabili dup` aceea s` d`m la iveal` o \n]elegere complet` a caracterului [i cauzalit`]ii crea]iilor noastre» (23). Influen]at de prietenul s`u Scheerbart, autorul unui volum de inspira]ie poetic` «Glasarchitektur», Taut [i-a exprimat viziunea sa mistic` asupra arhitecturii \n cåteva c`r]i faimoase: Arhitectura alpin`, Die Stadkrone (Coroana Ora[ului) [i Die Auflösung der 112

113 Städte (Dizolvarea ora[elor), toate, publicate \ntre 1919 [i El a propus distrugerea ora[elor a[a cum existau ele [i \ntoarcerea la ]ar`. Evident, era puternic influen]at de ideile anarhiste de stånga, dar mai era vorba [i despre altceva. Caracteristic` pentru ideile sale aplicabile \n mediul rural era propunerea privind o a[ezare circular`, subdivizat` radial. n centru erau trei sec]iuni separate pentru Künder, Kinder [i Künstler respectiv pentru cei ilumina]i, copii [i arti[ti. Cele trei p`r]i conduceau \n mod axial spre «Hans of Himmels», casa raiului o uria[` structur` cristalin` unde se \ntruneau conduc`torii (24). Printre cele mai fantastice propuneri ale lui Taut se num`r` imense structuri cristaline, temple [i biserici, coroane ale ora[elor \n Alpi. El le-a botezat «Monumentul Noii Legi, Muntele de Cristal, Ghe]arul de Sticl`, Marele Templu Stelar» (25). O «Catedral` a ståncilor» avea «un naos imens ridicat deasupra unui h`u \ngust, \n timp ce intervalele sale fuzioneaz` cu pe[terile [i grotele t`iate \n coasta muntelui, inversånd formele pozitive [i negative» (26). Materialele indicate pentru acele coroane erau: «sticl` verde smarald [i rubinie, ace de cristal din vårful muntelui, domuri de sticl` mat` [i \nveli[uri din beton pigmentate arbitrar, bolovani de porfir, structuri de abanos, acoperi[uri din cupru aurit [i coloane placate cu argint» (27). Spiritul acelor structuri a fost redat de c`tre Scheerbart prin expresia: «Lumina tånje[te dup` cristal». «Stadtkrone» a avut un predecesor. Cu nou`sprezece ani \nainte, \n Darmstadt, un grup de arti[ti [i arhitec]i coordona]i de c`tre Joseph Olbrich, figur` proeminent` a mi[c`rii Ver Sacrum din Viena (Prim`vara sacr` a Secesiunii) a construit, la ordinele arhiducelui de Hesse, o colonie artistic` pe vårful colinei Mathildenhöhe. Complexul cuprindea ateliere (Casa Ernst Ludwig), un spa]iu pentru expozi]ii, cripticul Turn al C`s`toriilor, case pentru arti[ti, o biseric` [i o gr`din` a «Paradisului». ntreaga structur` este piramidal` [i \nconjurat` de o serie de pergole. A fost \nchipuit` ca un «munte mistic» de verdea]` ce r`sare din p`månt, prin opozi]ie fa]` de gr`dina edenic` de platani dispu[i cu rigurozitate. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 113

114 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban A[ezarea a fost inaugurat` \n mai 1901 printr-un spectacol cu accente mistice intitulat «Das Zeichen» (Semnul). Pe treptele Casei Ernst Ludwig profetul «necunoscut» a primit un cristal ca simbol al materialului brut transformat \n art` \nalt` prin intermediul procesului spiritual (28). n 1927, Mies van der Rohe a fost angajat s` \ntocmeasc` planul pentru faimoasa Expozi]ie «Deutsche Werkbund Weissenhofsiedlung Exhibition» care a fost inaugurat` la Stuttgart \n acela[i an. Primul model creat de c`tre Mies a eviden]iat o continuitate urban` organic`, un gest de unitate. Era, de fapt, un fel de Stadtkrone (29), dac` avem \n vedere c` Siedlung (Proprietatea) a fost a[ezat` pe vårful unui deal care domina ora[ul. Mies a \mp`r]it ulterior amplasamentul \n parcele rectilinii, permi]åndu-le arhitec]ilor invita]i s` expun` case «moderne», albe [i geometrice, \ns` caracteristica dispunerii, de tip Standkrone, poate fi perceput` cu u[urin]`, tr`s`tura predominant` fiind blocul proiectat de \nsu[i Mies. Bauhaus Faimoasa [coal` de art` Bauhaus, illustrare a unei epoci, a fost rezultatul unei nevoi evidente de a reinstaura valorile spirituale \n arta [i societatea modern`. n Proclama]ia din 1919 se afirm` r`spicat: «S` cre`m o nou` breasl` a me[te[ugarilor, f`r` acea diferen]iere de clas` care ridic` o barier` arogant` \ntre me[te[ugar [i artist. S` concepem [i s` cre`m \mpreun` noua cl`dire a viitorului, care va \mbr`]i[a arhitectura, sculptura [i pictura ca un singur tot [i care se va ridica \ntr-o zi c`tre cer din måinile a milioane de muncitori, precum simbolul de cristal al unei noi credin]e» (30). Personalit`]i influente ale acestei prime perioade, precum Itten, Kandinsky, Klee, Muche, s-au implicat \n mod activ \n dezv`luirea con]inutului spiritual al artei. Itten a elaborat un proces de preg`tire extrem de individualist, bazat pe \nv`]`turile sectei orientale Mazdasnan. El afirma: «am conectat totul: Art`, Conferin]e, Exerci]iu, Serviciul Divin, Pictura o oper` activ` incredibil` dedicat` scopului comun de a atinge perfec]iunea» (31). 114

115 Kandinsky a scris o carte, Spiritualul \n Art`, iar Klee [i-a prezentat rolul \n activitatea [colii astfel: «Activitatea mea de \nv`]are aici, de la \nceput [i pån` mai tårziu, este limpede: prin intermediul experien]ei pe care am dobåndit-o \n domeniul conform`rii ideale, o s` v` conduc de la multiplicitate spre cl`direa Unit`]ii» (32). Ulterior, [coala s-a implicat \n extinderea utiliz`rii tehnologiei ca modalitate de a rezolva problemele sociale la scar` larg`, dar nu [i-a pierdut niciodat` componenta spiritual`. Oskar Schlemmer [i Kurd Schmidt au produs, \n cadrul Bauhaus, un nou gen de performan]` teatral` bazat` pe mi[c`ri elementare, seturi geometrice [i costume, m`[ti, culori primare. Era intitulat` «Mechanisches Ballet» sau «Mechanisches Kabaret». Personajele, a[a-numitele Marionete, erau «controlate de for]e superioare supraumane» (33). Pån` [i cl`direa Bauhaus din Dessau se conforma \n \ntregime principiilor dezvolt`rii spirituale. Casa este [i ast`zi considerat` extraordinar`: «Claritatea riguroas` aplicat` de c`tre Gropius \n rezolvarea func]iei acesteia [i modul \n care el a eviden]iat vizual con]inutul interior al casei prin utilizarea materialelor [i a construc]iei ridic` cl`direa Bauhaus la cel mai \nalt nivel de semnifica]ie [i exemplaritate \n råndul crea]iilor arhitecturale din secolul dou`zeci» (Winfried Nordinger) (34). n 1927, Rudolf Arnheim a f`cut referiri entuziaste la aceast` cl`dire, subliniind principiile spirituale ale construirii sale: «Dorin]a de puritate, claritate [i demnitate a repurtat aici o victorie. Prin ferestrele largi, se pot vedea oamenii la lucru [i oamenii care se odihnesc \n spa]iul lor personal. Totul arat` cum a fost construit, niciun [urub nu este ascuns; nicio decora]ie nu acoper` materialul brut care a fost utilizat aici. Trebuie s` atribuim acestei sincerit`]i cea mai ridicat` valoare moral`.» (35). Pån` [i Hannes Meyer, care era destul de incisiv cånd venea vorba despre «utopia simbolic` a [colii» a descris procesul «obiectiv» de produc]ie din cadrul atelierului prin faimoasa expresie mistic` «Metamorphosenprinzip»: «Structura obiectului trebuie s` fie ob]inut` din formele [i principiile elementare, tipice [i u[or perceptibile» (36). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 115

116 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban De Stijl n dou` muzee din Haga, Gementemuseum [i Rijkdienst Beeldene Kunst, putem contempla trei picturi emblematice ale fondatorilor mi[c`rii «De Stijl», realizate cu cå]iva ani \nainte de ini]ierea acesteia (1917): «Evolu]ie» a lui Mondrian (1910), «Autoportret» [i «Drumul eroic» ale lui Theo van Doesburg (1915, 1916). Aceste lucr`ri exprim` angajamentul ferm asumat de c`tre autorii lor fa]` de disciplina spiritual` a teozofiei. «Evolu]ie», un triptic, prezint` trezirea spiritului [i a con[tiin]ei. Sunt \nf`]i[ate trei figuri feminine stilizate, u[or diferite una de cealalt` [i \ncadrate de detalii geometrice. Figura central` are ochii larg deschi[i, iar capul \i este \nconjurat de o aur` de un galben intens. Van Doesburg [i-a intitulat autoportretul «expresionist teozofic». Pe chip este aplicat` o gam` abstract` de culori, pentru a reda starea interioar` a artistului. «Drumul eroic» este o pictur` abstract` de sorginte oarecum futurist`, care prezint` contrastul dinamic dintre drumul anevoios (calea, \n termeni mistici) [i destina]ia lini[tit` a acestuia (starea de perfec]iune). Ini]iind \n anul 1917 grupul [i revista «De Stijl», cei doi art[ti au \ncercat s`-[i pun` \n practic` ideile spirituale, apelånd la puternice mijloace de abstractizare. Cei doi erau preocupa]i de marile polarit`]i ale universului [i ale vie]ii: «Natur` versus Spirit, feminin versus masculin, pozitiv versus negativ, static versus dinamic, orizontal versus vertical» (37) [i credeau c` acestea trebuie exprimate prin intermediul culorilor de baz`, \ncadrate de negru, alb [i gri, de linii neregulate, unghiuri drepte, planuri flotante. n manifestul lor, au f`cut, de asemenea, apel la «un nou echilibru \ntre individual [i universal, la eliberarea artei de constrångerile tradi]iei [i cultul individualit`]ii». Cei doi arti[ti sim]eau c` «noua con[tiin]` urmeaz` s` se realizeze \n tot ce ne \nconjoar`, inclusiv \n via]a care ne \nconjoar`» (Manifestul De Stijl) (38). Pentru Mondrian, arta \nsemna expresia care anticipa o «nou` Lume ideal`». El [i-a \nchipuit sosirea acestei noi lumi ca pe un proces spiritual: o cre[tere a gradului de con[tientizare la nivelul fiin]ei umane des`vår[ite: «distinc]ia cas` strad` ora[ va disp`rea \n aceast` nou` lume. Omul va fi locuitorul Universului, 116

117 distinc]ia dintre art` [i via]` se va topi... Pe m`sur` ce omenirea evolueaz`, ritmul substan]ei sale intime (al substan]ei sale spirituale) devine din ce \n ce mai influent [i, astfel, apare o imens` oportunitate de a realiza o concordan]` \ntre acest ritm [i ritmul fizic... Astfel, un nou ritm al omului se va na[te, material [i imaterial \n lumea material`, numai prin omul integral, omul care a ajuns \n vårful civiliza]iei» (39). Un mic grup de arti[ti s-a adunat \n jurul lui Mondrian [i Van Doesburg: pictorii Van der Leck [i Huszar, tåmplarul Gerrit Rietveldt [i arhitectul Van Eesteren. Ei nu s-au opus industrializ`rii, gåndindu-se c` era oricum normal ca via]a modern` «s` devin` din ce \n ce mai abstract`» (40). Ei chiar au luat \n considerare tehnologia ca un instrument ce i-ar putea ajuta pe oameni s` ajung` la o existen]` pur spiritual` [i ideal` (41). Mi[carea a fost influen]at` de teozofia matematicianului olandez M. H. Schenmaekers, autorul volumelor Noua imagine a lumii [i Principiile matematicii plastice (1915, 1916). El a fost cel care a inventat termenul «Neoplasticism», cel care a instituit prima dat` restric]ia privind liniile verticale [i orizontale [i obsesia legat` de forma simbolic` a crucii: «Cele dou` contrarii fundamentale care modeleaz` planeta noastr` [i tot ceea ce se afl` pe aceasta sunt: linia orizontal` de putere, reprezentat` de rotirea P`måntului \n jurul Soarelui, [i mi[carea vertical`, spa]ial` a razelor originare din centrul Soarelui... Contrariile sunt expresii diferite ale unei realit`]i unice, ba mai mult, ele sunt reale numai \n reciprocitatea lor... Figura care concentreaz` conceptul unui cuplu de entit`]i absolut originale este suprema construc]ie rectangular`, crucea». n alt` parte \n acela[i volum (Noua imagine...), scrie despre semnifica]ia cosmic` a culorilor primare: «Cele trei culori principale sunt galben, albastru [i ro[u. Acestea sunt singurele culori care exist`... galbenul este mi[carea (vertical`) a razelor, albastrul este culoarea contrastant` fa]` de galben (firmamenul orizontal)... ro[ul este asocierea galbenului cu albastrul...» (42). Rietveld a \ntruchipat aceste principii \n renumitele sale piese de mobilier, asigurånd prima proiec]ie spa]ial` a formelor «De Stijl» \n trei dimensiuni, elemente articulate [i dislocate \n spa]iu. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 117

118 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban El \nc` mai credea \n principiile «Gesamtkunstwerk» [i a realizat o serie de interioare complexe [i complete, proiectånd corpuri de iluminat, covoare, piese de mobilier [i tapet. Chiar [i Van Doesburg credea \n unitatea artelor sub coordonarea arhitecturii, de vreme ce a afirmat \n 1928, cu referire la lucrarea sa de la Café Arbette: «Am identificat locul exact al culorii \n arhitectur` [i am declarat c` pictura f`r` o construc]ie arhitectural` nu are niciun motiv pentru a exista» (43). n 1923, Van Doesburg [i Van Eesteren au reu[it s` exprime stilul arhitectural al neoplasticismului \ntr-o serie de desene pe care le-au expus la Paris. Planuri flotante, forme elementare [i culori primare, totul era exprimat \n cele «16 Puncte ale Arhitecturii Plastice: elementar, economic, func]ional, nemonumental [i antidecorativ» (44). Punctul principal era al unsprezecelea, referitor la spa]iul interior, unde putem citi descrierea perfect` a extinderii infinite a miezului interior una dintre temele mistice majore: «Noua arhitectur` este anticubic`, \n sensul c` nu \ncearc` s` \nghe]e diferitele func]ionalit`]i ale spa]iului \ntr-un cub. Ea \ncearc` mai degrab` s` dispun` celula spa]ial` func]ional`, (precum [i planurile suprapuse, balcoanele [i volumele) \n mod centrifug fa]` de miezul cubului. n acest mod, \n`l]imea, l`]imea, adåncimea [i timpul ajung la o expresie absolut neoplastic` \n spa]iul deschis» (45). Descrierea se potrive[te, de altfel, perfect casei Shröder din Utrecht, construit` de Gerrit Rietveldt. Mies van der Rohe Este un adev`r consacrat c` marele maestru al moderni[tilor a fost, \n felul s`u, un continuator al m`re]ei tradi]ii clasice: «faptul c` idealul simplit`]ii clasice a mai putut supravie]ui \n toat` aceast` er` a tehnologiilor complicate se datoreaz` \n parte geniului lui Mies», afirma Peter Blake \n 1958 (46). ns` Mies nu era universalistul clasic obi[nuit. l admira pe Schinkel, marele geniu idealist german de factur` romantic-clasic`, [i a fost influen]at la \nceputul activit`]ii sale de c`tre Peter Behrens, omul care a creat designul industrial german [i arhitectura industrial` modern` din convingerea sa spiritual` \n voin]a formei. 118

119 Determinat de aceste convingeri [i de idealismul s`u natural, Mies a respins abordarea materialist` a Noii Obiectivit`]i, «Neue Sachlichkeit», producånd un text extrem de revelator intitulat «Noua Er`» (un discurs ]inut la o \ntrunire a Organiza]iei Lucr`torilor Germani «Werkbund») unde afirm` cu claritate atitudinea spiritual` pe care a avut-o de-a lungul \ntregii sale vie]i: «Noua er` este un fapt: exist` indiferent dac` noi spunem da sau nu. Cu toate acestea, ea nu este nici mai bun`, nici mai rea decåt epoca noastr`. Este pur [i simplu un dat, care nu are valoare \n sine... S` nu acord`m o importan]` nejustificat` mecaniz`rii [i standardiz`rii. S` accept`m schimbarea condi]iilor sociale [i economice ca pe un fapt. Toate aceste lucruri \[i urmeaz` cursul lor orb, care le-a fost destinat. Un singur lucru va conta \n mod decisiv: felul \n care ne afirm`m \n confruntarea cu \mprejur`rile. Aici \ncep problemele spiritului. ntrebarea important` nu este ce, ci cum. Ce bunuri producem sau ce unelte folosim, acestea nu sunt \ntreb`ri cu valoare spiritual`. Pentru spirit nu are importan]` dac` vom acorda \ntåietate zgårie-norilor fa]` de cl`dirile joase sau dac` vom construi din o]el [i sticl`. Problema valorii este cea decisiv`, deoarece lucrul care conteaz` [i are semnifica]ie \n orice epoc` inclusiv aceasta este de a acorda spiritului oportunitatea de a exista (47)». IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Louis Kahn Ne confrunt`m, \n cazul s`u, cu situa]ia fascinant` a unui arhitect [i profesor renumit \n \ntreaga lume ale c`rui credin]e spirituale au fost mult timp considerate drept fantezii, manifest`ri ale unui vocabular obscur [i indescifrabil sau, \n cel mai bun caz, ale unui «limbaj poetic». n cazul lui Louis Kahn, suntem martorii acelui mecanism prin care mesajul comunicat de c`tre un maestru nu este receptat fie din dispre] superior, fie din admira]ie stupid`. Vincent Scully \[i aduce aminte: «Uneori nici eu, nici oamenii care \l admirau nu puteam s` facem asta, s` \l ascult`m vorbind despre toate acele lucruri extrem de neclare [i, pån` la urm`, false. S`-i auzi apoi pe al]ii cum iau cuvintele sale drept liter` de 119

120 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban evanghelie sau predic` filozofic` era un fapt oarecum descurajant, deoarece \n ultimii s`i ani de via]` toate acestea deveniser` un fel de ecran de fum care ascundea metodele sale efective de lucru» (48). Este vorba despre un om care, la un anumit moment al evolu]iei sale, a ajuns la o convingere personal` foarte puternic` despre natura spiritual`, pentru a nu spune mistic`, a arhitecturii. Folosea cuvinte precum Lumina, Umbra, ntunericul, «dorin]a de a fi» (Kunstwille) pentru a descrie sentimentele sale interioare, cum a f`cut [i cu ocazia extraordinarei conferin]e ]inute \n 1967 la Boston, intitulat` «Spa]iu [i Inspira]ii» (49). Publicului i-a declarat c` arhitectura era produs` \ntr-o zon` misterioas` situat` \ntre realul iluminat [i idealul silen]ios, un loc pe care l-a numit «pragul unde T`cerea se \ntålne[te cu Lumina, T`cerea, cu dorin]a sa de a fi, iar Lumina, creatoare a tuturor prezen]elor». Pentru el, acel loc pre]ios era «sanctuarul tuturor expresiilor, pe care \l numesc Depozitarul Umbrelor, aflat \n ambian]`, Lumina c`tre T`cere, T`cerea c`tre Lumin`. Lumina, creatoare a prezen]elor \[i arunc` umbra care este a Luminii» (50). n aceea[i conferin]`, a oferit descrierea perfect` a naturii mistice a spa]iului interior. «Arhitectura creeaz` sentimentul unei lumi \n lume, pe care \l \mprumut` unei camere. ncerca]i s` v` gåndi]i la lumea din afar` atunci cånd v` afla]i \n camera potrivit`, cu persoana potrivit`. Orice sim]`månt al exteriorului v` p`r`se[te. Aceasta \mi aduce \n minte un superb poem al marelui poet persan Rumi... \n care ne vorbe[te despre o Preoteas` care se plimba prin gr`din`. Era prim`var`. Ea se opre[te \n pragul casei... Servitoarea \i spune Veni]i pentru a vedea minunile pe care le-a creat Dumnezeu... Preoteasa \i r`spunde Uit`-te \n`untru [i ai s`-l vezi pe Dumnezeu. Este uluitor c` la un moment dat s-a creat o camer`... Ceea ce ne \ndeamn` s` o cre`m, dorin]a de a o crea nu este natura universal`. ndr`znesc s` spun c` ]ine de T`cere, de dorin]a \ntunecat` [i sumbr` de a fi, de a exprima o prevalen]` a spiritului care \nv`luie Universul» (51). Aceste credin]e [i sentimente puternice l-au determinat s` produc` o arhitectur` aproape pur`, neafectat` de restric]ii practice, 120

121 dedicat` Luminii, ntunericului, formelor puternice [i spa]iilor puternice. Dup` cum a afirmat, «arhitectura are prea pu]in de-a face cu rezolvarea problemelor... Rezolvarea unei probleme constituie, mai degrab`, o munc` ingrat` din perspectiva arhitecturii. De[i poate aduce nenum`rate satisfac]ii, nimic nu se compar` cu satisfac]ia de a ajunge la concluzii referitoare la arhitectura \ns`[i. Exist` ceva primordial, ceva care a existat \naintea ta. Realizezi abia cånd te afli pe t`råmul arhitecturii c` intri \n contact cu sentimentele fundamentale ale omului [i c` arhitectura nu ar fi fost niciodat` parte din mo[tenirea umanit`]ii dac` nu ar fi fost adev`rul \nc` de la \nceput» (52). Este cel mai bun final la care m` pot gåndi pentru aceste observa]ii. Componenta spiritual` a arhitecturii moderniste este un subiect de o extraordinar` importan]`, care ne ajut` s` \n]elegem mai bine adev`ratul sens al unui conglomerat de opere importante, care a fost mistificat foarte mult` vreme. n starea prezent` de criz` a arhitecturii, este o u[urare s` ne gåndim c` marii arhitec]i ai timpurilor noastre [i-au privit operele ca pe o parte dintr-un plan mai vast de \mbun`t`]ire a con]inutului spiritual al propriei vie]i, de ameliorare a acesteia prin dezv`luirea conexiunilor ascunse dintre Om [i Univers. Tot ei au considerat c` lucr`rile lor constituie o experien]` vie a adev`rului care este destul de \ndep`rtat de actuala abordare formalist` [i cultural`. Acest tip de implicare \n «ceva mai mare decåt tine \nsu]i», ob]inut prin intensificarea experien]elor tr`ite de cele mai ascunse p`r]i ale sinelui, ar putea reprezenta o cale de ie[ire din starea prezent`. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. Nikolai Berdiaev, Sensul crea]iei, Humanitas, Bucure[ti, Ibid. 3. Calude Trésmontant, La mystique chrétienne et l avenir de l homme, Seuil, Paris, J. Krishnamurti, The Path, The Star Publishing Trust, Olanda, Ibid Rudolf Steiner, Grundlinien einer Erkenntnisstheorie der Goetheschen Weltanschauung, G.A.2, Frank Lloyd Wright, Text Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, Benedikt Taschen, Frank Lloyd Wright, A Testament, New York,

122 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban 9. Ja!Stimmen des Arbeitrasts für Kunst, Verlag Photographisches Gesellschaft, Charlottenburg, Jane A. Sharp, The Critical Reception of the 10 Exhibition Malevich and Benna in De Grote Utopie-Catalog, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Paul Klee, Schriften DuMont Verlag Köln. 12. Louis Kahn, Space and the Inspirations, «L Architecture d Aujourd hui», Alvar Aalto, Culture&Technology, Suomi Finland, SUA, Ibid Le Corbusier, Précisions sur un état présente de l Architecture et de l Urbanisme, Les d.g.crés, Paris. 16. Alvar Aalto, National Planification and the Objectives of Culture, Suomalainen Suomi, Rudolf Steiner, Das Goetheanum in seinem zehn Jahren in der Goetheanum Gedanke inmittel KulturKrisis des Gegenwart, G.A. 36, Ibid Alvar Aalto, The Reconstruction of Europe, Arkkitetti M. Taut and O.M. Ungers, Die Gläserne Kette, Visionäre Architektur aus dem Kreis um Bruno Taut , Berlin, Ibid W. Boesinger, H. Gisberger, Le Corbusier , les Editions d Architecture, Zürich. 23. Ibid Kenneth Frampton, Modern Architecture. A Critical History, Thammes & Hudson. 25. P. Scheerbart & B. Taut, Glass Architecture and Alpine Architecture, N.Y., Wolfgang Pehnt, Expressionist Architecture in Drawings, Van Nostrand Reinhold N.Y. 27. Ibid. 28. Ibid Bauhaus , Catalogul expozi]iei, Musée National d Art Moderne, Musée d Art de la ville de Paris. 30. Ibid Bauhaus Archiv, Bauhaus, Benedikt Tashen Magdalena Droste. 32. Ibid. 33. Ibid. 34. Walter Gropius, Katalog, Bauhaus Archiv, Ibid Ibid Theo van Doesburg, The Will of Style, Exhibition Catalog Abbemuseum Eindhoven. 38. Ibid Piet Mondrian, New Art, New Life, Amsterdam, Karsten-Peter Warncke, De Stijl , Benedikt Tashen. 41. Ibid. 42. H.L.C. Jaffé, De Stijl The Doutch Contribution to Modern Art, Amsterdam Ibid Ibid Ibid. 46. Peter Blake, The Difficult Art of Simplicity, «L Architecture d Aujourd hui», Mies van der Rohe, The New Era «L Architecture d Aujourd hui», David B. Brownlee, Louis I. Kahn: In the Realm of David G. De Long Architecture MOCA Rizzoli N.Y. 49. Ibid

123 50. Ibid. 51. Ibid. 52. Ibid. 48. loan Andreescu Traducere: Claudia Rada (Architect s Bulletin, International Magazine for Theory of Architecture, volumul 117 / 118, Octombrie, 1993, pp. 6 15) IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 123

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125 The Spiritual Origins of Modern Architecture IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Modern and avant garde architecture have been for a long time presented as the ultimate achievement of the Enlightment Philosophy and as the consummate images of the new industrial and scientific society freed from superstition, devoted to the happiness of the greater number. Modern architecture has been described as: rational, materialistic, technological, hygienic, simple, efficient, universal, future orientated. Its critics pointed to what they were considering the week spots: over simplification, mass expansion, lack of sensibility for «genius loci», lack of «expression», formal poverty etc. Nobody really took into consideration one aspect of the activities of the pioneers and masters of the modern movement which is clearly stated in their books and can be easily identified in their works: the strive for a new architecture mustn t be only a way to adopt the art of building to the values of a new society and economy, it was a trial to re instate spiritual, even mystic values in a changing society. They believed that architecture must embody the values of a «superior existence» which is the «real» one in spiritual term. The Russian mystic and philosopher Berdeaev expressed that urge in a famous book he wrote in 1916, The Sense of Creation: «In any artistic endeavor there is a new world, a cosmos which is created, a free world. The crust falls from the face of the universe... The intent of any creation is the edification of another existence, of another life, the penetration through this world to another one free and sublime» (he meant: divine) (1). Unfortunately, such a purpose was too high to be reached within the boundaries of art and culture, so the «Grand Project» was altogether forgotten in spite of the fact that the books still exist and the houses are widely admired. 125

126 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space The late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century witness the increase of skepticism and of scientific spirit which undermined «the foundations of belief». In the same time there was a dramatic diminution of interest in the traditional forms of spiritual life e.g. the official church. The counterbalance these trends a quest for new forms of spiritual life became evident. There was a raising interest in Asian religious and mysticism, in occultism, spiritualism and an impressive flourish of sects and denominations. The lasting legacy of that era is to be found in Theosophy, Anthropology and in the renewed interest for the Christian orthodox spirituality and for the Jewish mystical doctrines. All these doctrines and practices had a considerable impact on the intelligentsia of the so-called symbolization period, at the turn of the century. Artists, architects, musicians, novelists, poets and philosophers were influenced by that quest of a renewed spiritual life. They were deeply attached by the so called mystical knowledge, a direct experience of the ultimate reality and by the possibility to find their creative gesture and that kind of interior revelation. People whom we call today pioneers of masters of modern architecture were by no means an exception. Mystic means, first of all, turned to the inside, secretive. It comes from the Greek «myo» which signifies closing the eyes, plugging the ears, shutting the mouth, being initiated in a secret cult. The mystic experience in any epoch, it s an inner experience, and it is unveiling of the «interior man» in opposition with the «exterior». That kind of experience helps to discover in the inner realm, as Berdeaev says: «The mystical plunging in himself is by all means a way out, a penetration beyond the border» (2). We can assume that a mystic is someone who tries to overcome by inner experience the limits of human existence and directs himself towards something or somebody far beyond the «horizon». Being a mystic also means that you are able to actually perceive that object or person. There are many techniques, schools, and ways of achieving that experience. Each important religion or spiritual denomination has its own «mystic». But beyond boundaries and differences no 126

127 mystic endeavor could be considered as: irrational and contrary to logic. It is a living experience of «the existent», of the presence of the «ultimate reality»; purely effective or sentimental. It engages the whole personality of a man, concentrated in the so called «hearth» the inner core of the being; dedicated to specialists, to chosen ones. By use of proper means almost anybody could engage in that experience; non-real, product of imagination, fantasy. Spiritual masters advise to overthrow any received images, idols and individual or collective illusions. «Mystic», writes the French philosopher Claude Trésmontant, «is the knowledge of the Cause, the Principle, the Reason and the Meaning» (3). The distinguishing characteristics of the modern age mysticism are its highly individualistic character and the rejection of tradition past dogmas and symbols. Says the great master Krishnamurti: «Revolt is essential to be freed from the narrowness of the tradition... If you want to know the truth, you have to free yourself from books, theories, gods, superstitions...» (4). Berdeaev points out the same direction: «Dogmas and traditions die and degenerate becoming sheer exterior authority when they are loosing their mystical sources...» (5). Consistent elements of a mystical position towards architecture are to be found in the writing practice of the modern masters for beyond the struggle against tradition. I. First of all is their belief in the prophetic and sacred character of the architecture. The spiritual conscious exercise of the art could help to unravel profound realities and to enrich the daily life. Rudolf Steiner, German mystic philosopher, architect and writer used the paradigm of the nut: «There is the nut and the nutshell. The nutshell isn t the symbol of the nut. It is made out of the same substance as the nut. Only in that way becomes the building the envelope which converse the spirit with forms and colors. Every style born out of the spirit is also a Weltanschauung» (6). For Le Corbusier, art was «a pure creation of the spirit». In his book A Testament, Frank Lloyd Wright «summed up the forces IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 127

128 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space that made his work and forms of all great, Art, likewise as he saw them» (7). The last chapter was dedicated the inner light of humanity, ultimate essence of his art: «This inner light is the assurance that man s Architecture, Art and Religion are as one its symbolic emblems. Then we may call humanity itself the light that never fails» somewhere else in the same chapter he says: «All come to nourish or be nourished by this inextinguishable light within the soul of man... From the cradle to the grave his true being craves this reality to assure the continuation of his life as Light thereafter» (8). The German avant-gardes of the early twenties felt the urge to start sacral building as a quest for the new spirituality: «The most important thing seems to... be construct an ideal house of God... We must not wait until a new religiosity is upon us, for it may be waiting for us while we are waiting for it» (J. Behme 1919) (9). The same feeling was shared by the pioneers of Russian avant garde, especially by supremacists. In his essay of 1920 Supremacist in World Reconstruction Lissitzky presents his views of the Black Square as the «harbinger of a new cosmic era»: «For us Supremacist didn t signify the recognition of an absolute form which was part of an already completed universal system. On the contrary, here stood revealed for the first time in all its purity the clear sign and plan of a definite new world... never before experienced a world which issues forth from our inner being» (10). For the influential Bauhaus teacher and painter Paul Klee «Art does not give us the visible but reveals the invisible» (11). Even Mies van der Rohe was clearly stating: «Architecture is the real battleground of the spirit». As for Louis Kahn: «Architecture has no presence. A work is an offering to the Sanctuary» (12). Alvar Aalto was also considering that «As time goes by the spiritual must exceed the matter» (13). II. The modern masters gave immense importance to the «inner core», the «heart» as the intimate substance of their work. That inner core mystical «fire» or «void» endowed with the gift of «illimitable expansion» was of course, the inner space of the house. For Frank Lloyd Wright the discovery of that inner core was a liberating act: «And now architecture would be free». That free 128

129 expansion of the interior space was the real meaning of the famous phrase: «the space within became the reality of the building» (14). Le Corbusier speaks almost as a spiritual master about the inner space of his villa Savoy: «The air (the breathing) circulates everywhere, the light is in any point, penetrates everywhere... the plan is pure» (15). III. The respect of nature, since, as Wright states: «nature is all the body of God we will ever know». Creator and creature are melted together and the architect himself as a reveler of the relations between microcosm and macrocosm is a part of the universal harmony. For Alvar Aalto nature was «the very symbol of freedom. Nature can generate and protect the idea of freedom. If we are founding our techniques on nature, it will be possible to direct the development towards a greater freedom of our work and life» (16). Nature offers the great model of the «organic» development, the so called «Metamorphosen Prinzip» discovered by Goethe and further enhanced by Rudolf Steiner. Following that principle, all forms are deduced from the changes of basic elements. To obtain a certain form you must ran the basic element through an established succession of changes while during the process the necessary forces will intervene. Goethe discovered the principle observing the plants. The basic element was the leaf and starting from it one could construct the entire plant and deduce everything from spatial arrangement to the timetable of the growth process. That principle became the basis of the European «organic» architecture. Steiner himself used it while building his famous Goetheanum in Dornach: «There were not reputable motives in different locations but every detail was designed to fit its particular location, as the smallest part of a living organism is in the same time strictly individual but able to reveal its own hidden structure only in a strict connection with its position in the whole» (17). Paradoxical enough the mystic attitude towards nature has directed some modern abstraction. For Paul Klee, influential Bauhaus painter and teacher, the disciple studying nature arrives sooner or later to the realm of abstraction: «The student s progress in the nature s study and contemplation enables him as he rises IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 129

130 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space to a superior Weltanschauung to engender free structures and abstract images which are guiding him out of the schematism towards a new nature» (18). The split tendencies of abstract and organic are actually rooted in the same spiritual attitude towards nature. Max Ernst has clearly stated the absolute similarity of the two in his famous painting «Vox coelesta». The surface of the painting is divided by an abstract grid in various fields, representing either organic images or abstract symbols. At least two major principles of modern architecture are indebted to that preoccupation with nature: the cult of natural material and the use of every material according to its foremost inner qualities and the fusion between the inner realm and the other world. Says Aalto: «the main task of architecture is to offer the means of an organic unity between the building and the nature» (19). IV. The «transparency» of the building and the continuity between forms, structure, function. It is a mystic requirement that no interruption or obstacle is to be found between the thoughts, worlds and facts of a spiritually evolved personality. In the same time a perfect harmony and «transparency» has to reign between mind, soul and body. Microcosm reflects macrocosm and the same continuity is to be found between the high principles ruling the universe and their physical and human embodiment. Hereof the obsession of modern architects with opening transparency and their love of glass as a direct embodiment of the principle. «Glass brings us the new era», «Without a glass palace life becomes a burden», «Colored glass destroys hatred» states German avant gardes of the twenties Paul Scheerbart. «Glass architecture will bring a new culture» says his close friend Adolf Behne (20). Of course, there is also a more subtle definition of transparency. For Steiner the walls of Goetheanum «were artistically speaking transparent. They were not supposed to cut the view of the world, but to direct the sight, by means of artistic massing, in such a way that the spectator could identify himself with the 130

131 Depth of the universe» (21), which means of course, that the wall was spiritually transparent but physically thick. V. The straightforward articulation of form, the simplicity, the direct approach and of course the rejection of ambiguities are all derived from the commandments of the inner discipline of a mystic person. So are the preoccupation with the «functional» gesture, the economy of means and the objectivity. VI. The current preoccupation with numbers, standards and proportioning systems. We know that there is a «mystic of the number» (Matila C. Ghyka) and that the proportioning systems are supposed to reflect the secret harmony of the universe. Number is uniting microcosm and macrocosm as in Le Corbusier s Modulor, a proportioning system based on the human body s measurements and on the Divine Proportion. It is universal and equally efficient at any scale: «Modulor bears witness to the harmony inherent in this range of dimensions» writes Le Corbusier referring to its use in Unité d habitation in Marseille. An angular stone representing the Modulor was set up near the Unité entrance. For the architect this gesture was very important: «This group is indisputably inspired with a mathematical unity and it is in such moments as that architecture soares, leaving the brutal and material and attaining to spirituality. Again a simple picture such as that reproduced here contains the essence of harmony» (22). VII. The ideal of Gesamtkunstwerk the architecture as the unity of the arts, the house as a complete work. It certainly comes out the perception of the house as microcosm and «imago» of the macrocosm the complete universe. In that reading the house must be complete with ornamentation (organic of course), fininishings, colors, lights and landscape. A few notes about some modern architects and movements will enlighten this huge subject. The names were chosen randomly because the work of almost every important individual group reveals the same troubling truth: modern experience in architecture was indebted to the spiritual endeavors of our era. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 131

132 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space Bruno Taut and the «Stadtkrone» In the years following the First World War, Bruno Taut and an enthusiastic group of German avant garde artists and architects were involved in complex activities: politics (Novembergruppe), organization of the avant garde movement (Die Brücke) exhibitions (The Unknown Architect). In the core of his activities was his strive for a new architecture imbued with the values of the spirit. For him, architecture was a «radiation of spirit». He was obsessed with light, crystalline forms and the inner sources of inspiration. He and his friends were expressing their energies in a series of letters called «The glass Chain». They were also editing the magazine «Frühlicht» (early light). In one of the letters of the «Chain», Hans Sharoun stated: «We must create just as the blood of our ancestors brought on waves of creativity and we shall be content if we are ourselves thereafter able to reveal a complete comprehension of the character and causality of our creations» (23). Influenced by his friend Scheerbart, author of a poetic book Glasarchitektur, Taut expressed his mystical vision of architecture in the famous books: Alpine Architecture, Die Stadkrone (The Crown of the City) and Die Auflösung der Städte (The Dissolution of the Cities), all published in He proposed the destruction of cities as they are and the return to the countryside. Of course, there was a strong influence of left wing anarchist ideas, but there was a lot more then that. Typical of his agricultural propositions was a circular, radially subdivided settlement. In the core there were three separate sections for: Künder, Kinder and Künstler for enlighten people, children and artists. The three parts lead axially to the «Hans of Himmels» house of heaven a huge crystalline structure where the leaders convened (24). At his most fantastic Taut proposed immense crystalline structures, temples and churches, city crowns in the Alps. He baptized them: «Monument of the New Law, Crystal Mountain, Snow Glacier Glass, The Great Temple of Stars» (25). A «Cliff Cathedral» had «a huge nave which overtops a morrow chasm while its aisles merge with caves and grottoes chipped out of the mountainside, reversing positive and negative form» (26). 132

133 The materials indicated for those crowns were: «emerald green and ruby red glass, the crystal needles of the mountaintops, the frosted glass domes and arbitrary tinted concrete shells, the porphyry boulders, ebony structures, gilded copper roofs and silver plated Columns» (27). The spirit of those structures is expressed by a Scheerbart phrase: «Light wends crystal». The «Stadtkrone» had a predecessor. Some nineteenth years before, at Darmstadt, a group of artists and architects led by Joseph Olbrich, figurehead of the Ver Sacrum movement in Wien (Sacred Spring of the Sezession) built at the orders of the archiduke of Hesse, an artist s colony on the hilltop of Mathildenhöhe. The complex contains ateliers (the Ernst Ludwig House), an exhibition building, the cryptic Marriage Tower, houses for the artists, a church and a «Paradise» garden. The whole structure is pyramidal, girded by a series of pergolas. It was imagined as foliage rising from the ground like a «mystical mountain» opposed to the edenic and formal Platanenhain, plane tree garden. It was opened in May 1901 by a mystical performance called «Das Zeichen» (The Sign). On the steps of the Ernst Ludwig House the «unknown» prophet received a crystal as a symbol of the raw material transformed into high art by the means of a spiritual process (28). In 1927 Mies van der Rohe was commissioned to plan the famous Deutsche Werkbund Weissenhofsiedlung Exhibition which opened in Stuttgart in the same year. The first model created by Mies showed an organic urban continuity, a gesture of unity. It really was a Stadtkrone (29) as the Siedlung (Estate) was planned atop, a hill dominating the city. Mies divided later on the site in rectilinear plots allowing the invited architects to display «modern» houses, white and geometric but the Standkrone quality of the layout can be easily perceived, the dominating feature being the block designed by Mies himself. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI The Bauhaus The famous art school, the epitome of an era was the outcome of an evident need to re instate spiritual values in art and modern society. 133

134 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space The Proclamation of 1919 states clearly: «Let us create a new guild of craftsman, without the class distinction which raises an arrogant barrier between craftsman and artist. Together let us conceive and create the new building of the future which will embrace architecture and sculpture and painting in one unity and which will rise one day toward heaven from the hands of a million workers alike the crystal symbol of a new faith» (30). Such influential figures of the first period as Itten, Kandinsky, Klee, Muche, were openly involved in unveiling the spiritual content of art. Itten developed a highly individualistic training process based upon the teachings of the oriental sect Mazdasnan. He said: «we tied together all Art, Conferences, Exercise, Divine Service, Painting an incredible active work directed to the joint purpose of perfection» (31). Kandinsky wrote a book about The Spiritual in Art and Klee presented his role in the school s activity as follows «My learning activity here from its start till later on is clear: by the means of my experience acquired in the field of ideal conformation, I will lead you from the multiplicity to the building of the Unity» (32). Later on the school became involved in developing the use of technology as a means to solve the problems of a mass society but it has never lost its spiritual input. Oskar Schlemmer and Kurd Schmidt produced at Bauhaus a new kind of theatrical performance based on elementary movements, geometric sets and costumes, masks, primary colors. It was named «Mechanisches Ballet» or «Mechanisches Kabaret». The characters, the so called Marionettes were «mastered by a higher supra human force» (33). Even the Bauhaus building in Dessau was entirely respectful to the principles of the spiritual development. The house is considered outstanding even today: «The rigorous clarity applied by Gropius in solving the function, and the way he visually revealed the inner content of the house using materials and construction, are rising the Bauhaus building to the highest signification and exemplary in the twentieth century architecture». (Winfried Nordinger) (34). 134

135 In 1927 Rudolf Arnheim wrote about this building in enthusiastic terms, underlining the spiritual principles of its making: «The will of purity, clarity and dignity has won here a victory. Through the large windows one can see working people at work, resting people in their private realm. Everything shows its own construction, no screw is hidden; no decoration covers the rough material which is used here. One is to attribute to such sincerity the highest moral value» (35). Even Hannes Meyer who was incisive about the «symbolic utopics» of the school was describing the «objective» production process at the workshop using the famous mystic «Metamorphosenprinzip»: «The structure of the object must be derived from typical, easily perceptible elementary forms and principles» (36). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI De Stijl In two museums in Hague, Gementemuseum and Rijkdienst Beeldene Kunst, we can contemplate three emblematic paintings of the founders of the «De Stijl» produced a few years before they started the movement (1917): «Evolution» of Mondrian (1910), «Self portrait» and «The heroic road» of Theo van Doesburg ( ). These works are expressing the Strong commitment of their authors to the spiritual discipline of Theosophy. «Evolution», a triptych, depicts the awakening of the spirit and the growth of the consciousness. There are three stylized feminine figures, slightly different and framed in geometric details. The central figure has the eyes wide open and the head surrounded by a bright yellow aura. Van Doesburg called his self portrait «expressionistic theosophical». He used an abstract pattern of colors superimposed on his figure to depict his inner state of mind. The «heroic way» is an abstract painting somehow of futuristic descent presenting the dynamic contrast between the troubled road (the way as the mystic says) and its quiet end (state of perfection). Starting in 1917 the group and magazine «De Stijl» the two artists tried to enforce their spiritual belief using the powerful means of abstraction. 135

136 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space They were obsessed with the great polarities of the universe and life: «Nature against Spirit, the feminine and masculine, the positive and negative, the static and the dynamic, the horizontal and the vertical» (37) and they believed that those polarities are to be expressed by the means of the basic colors framed by black, white and grey, sprightly lines, right angles, floating planes. They also called in their manifest for a «new balance between the individual and the universal and for the liberation of art from both constraints of tradition and the cult of individuality». They also felt that «the new consciousness is ready to be realized in everything including the everything of life» (De Stijl Manifesto) (38). For Mondrian art was the anticipating expression of «a new ideal World». He imagined the forthcoming of this new world as a spiritual process: as a growth of consciousness in the accomplished human being: «the distinction house street town will disappear, in this new world. The man will be the inhabitant of the Universe, the distinction between art and life will wains... At the mankind progresses the rhythm of its inner substance (spiritual substance) becomes more and more influent and so a great opportunity appears to realize a concordance between this rhythm and the physical one... So a new rhythm of the man will be born, material and immaterial in the material world only by the integral man, the man who reached the peak of civilization» (39). A small group of artists gathered around Mondrian and Van Doesburg: the painters Van der Leck and Huszar, the cabinet maker Gerrit Rietveldt and architect Van Eesteren. They didn t oppose to the industrialization as they were thinking that it was anything but normal for the modern life to «become more and more abstract» (40). They even considerate technology as something that would help people to achieve a pure spiritual and ideal existence (41). The movement has been influenced by the theosophical philosophy of the Dutch mathematician M. H. Schenmaekers author of the New Image of the World and Principles of Plastic Mathematics (1915, 1916). From him came term «Neo Plasticism», from him came the restriction to horizontal and vertical lines, and the obsession with the Symbolic form of the cross: «The two fundamental completes 136

137 contraries which shape our earth and all that is on it are: the horizontal line of power that is the course of the earth around the sun and the vertical, profoundly spatial movement of the rays that originate in the centre of the sun... The contraries are different expressions of a unique reality. Even more, they are real only in their reciprocity... The figure which concentrates the concept of a couple of absolute original entities is the absolute rectangular construction, the cross». And somewhere else in the same book (The new image...) he wrote about cosmic significance of primary colors: «The three principal colors are yellow, blue and red. They are the only colours existing... yellow is the movement of the ray (vertical)... blue is the contrasting colour to yellow (horizontal firmament)... red is the mating of yellow and blue...» (42). Rietveld embodied those principles in his famous furniture providing the first spatial projection of the «De Stijl» forms in three dimensions, articulated and displaced elements in space. He still believed in «Gesamtkunstwerk» and produced a series of intricate and complete interiors designing light fixtures, carpets, furniture, and wallpaper. Even Van Doesburg believed in the unity of arts under architecture since he affirmed in 1928 about his work at Café Arbette: «We have established the true place of colour in architecture and we declare that painting without architectural construction has no further reason for existence» (43). In 1923 Van Doesburg and Van Eesteren managed to produce the architectural style of NeoPlasticism in a series of drawings they exhibited in Paris. Free floating planes, elementary forms, and primary colours. All was expressed in the «16 points of Plastic Architecture: elementary, economic, functional, un-monumental and anti decorative» (44). The main point was the eleventh point about the internal space, where we read the perfect description of the infinite expansion of the inner core a major mystic theme: «The new architecture is anti cubic that is to say it does not try to freeze the different functional space calls in one closed cube. Rather it throws the functional space cell (as well as the overhanging planes, balconies and volumes) centrifugals from the core of the cube. And through this means, height, width, depth and IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 137

138 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space time approaches a totally new plastic expression in open space» (45). The description also matches perfectly the Shröder house in Utrecht built by Gerrit Rietveldt. Mies van der Rohe It is a well established fact that the great modern master was in his own way a continually of the great classical tradition: «the fact that the ideal of classical simplicity has been able to survive in all this super complicated technical age is due in part to an act of genius by Mies» says Peter Blake in 1958 (46). But Mies wasn t an average classical universalistic. He admired Schinkel, the great Romantic Classic idealistic German genius and has been influenced in his early practice by Peter Behrens, the man who created the German industrial design and modern industrial architecture out of the spiritual belief in the will of form. Driven by that background and by his natural idealism Mies rejected the materialistic approach of the «Neue Sachlichkeit» (New Objectivity) producing a highly illuminating text called the New Era (a speech at a Werkbund meeting 7930) where he firmly states the kind of spiritual attitude he kept all his life: «The new era is a fact: it exists irrespective of our yes or no. Yet it is neither better nor worse than any other era. It is pure datum, in itself without value content... Let us not give undue importance to mechanization and standardization. Let us accept changed social and economical conditions as a fact. All these take their blind and fateful course. One thing will be decisive: the way we assert ourselves in the face of circumstance. Here the problems of spirit begin. The important question to ask is not what but how. What goods we produce or what tools we use are not question of spiritual value. How the question of skyscrapers versus low buildings is settled, whether we build of steel and glass are unimportant questions from the point of view of the spirit. Yet it is just the question of value that is decisive. For what is right and significant for any era including the new era is this: to give the spirit the opportunity to exist» (47). 138

139 Louis Kahn This is the fascinating case of a world wide admired architect and teacher whose high spiritual beliefs were longtime considered mere a fancy, an obscured and inscrutable vocabulary or at its best a «poetic language». We witness in this particular case the very mechanism of obliterating the message delivered by a master either by superior contempt or by stupid admiration. Vincent Scully recalls: «Sometimes even I and the people who loved him found it hard to let him do it, to listen him talking this terribly vague stuff and even sort of false stuff. Then to hear so many people pick it up as a gospel, the sort of philosophical gospel of Lou was distrustful because in his later years it had become more like a smoke screen around his actual methods than anything else» (48). This was a man who reached at a certain moment of his evolution a strong personal conviction about the spiritual not to say mystic nature of architecture. He used words as Light, Shadow, Darkness, «will to be» (Kunstwille) to describe his intimate feelings, as in the superb conference held in 1967 in Boston, entitled «Space and Inspirations» (49). He told his audience that architecture was engendered in a mysterious area situated between the illuminated real and the silent ideal, a place he named: «the threshold where Silence and Light meet, Silence with its drive to be and Light giver of all presences». For him that precious place was: «the sanctuary of all expression which I call the Treasury of Shadows, lying in the ambience, Light to Silence, Silence to Light. Light the giver of presence casts its shadow which belongs to Light» (50). Elsewhere in the same conference he provides the perfect description of the mystical nature on the inner space. «Architecture creates a feeling of a world within a world, which it gives to the room. Try to think of the outside world when you re in a good room with a good person. All your senses of outside leave you. I m reminded of a beautiful poem by the great Persian Rumi... He tells us of a Priestess walking through her garden. It is spring. She stops at the threshold of her house... Her maid in waiting IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 139

140 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space Priestess and see the wonders that God have made. The Priestess answered Look within and see God. It s marvelous that a room was ever made... What guides it to be made, the desire to make it is not the universal nature. Dare I say that it is of Silence of lightless, darkles, darkles desire to be, to express a prevalence of spirit enveloping the universe» (51). Such strong beliefs and feelings conumitted him to produce an almost pure architecture, unfettered by practical restriction, dedicated to Light, Darkness, strong forms and powerful spaces. As he said: «Architecture has little to do with solving problems... To be able to solve a problem is almost a drudgery of architecture. Through it is tremendously delightful there is nothing equal to the delight of coming to realizations about architecture itself. There s something primordial, something that existed before yourself. You realize when you are in the realm of architecture that you are touching the basic feelings of man and that architecture would never have been part of humanity if it weren t the truth to begin with» (52). I could hardly think of a better way to close these notes. The spiritual in modern architecture is a subject of outstanding importance. It helps us to better understand the real meaning of an important body of work which has been for longtime mystified. In the present state of crisis in architecture it is a relief to think that great architects of our times were considering their work as a part of a greater plan to enhance the spiritual content of our lives, to better them by unravels the hidden connections between Man and Universe. Those people also considered their works as a living experience of the truth which is far enough from the present formalistic and cultural approach. That kind of involvement in «something greater then yourself» obtained by intensifying the experiences of the most recessed inner self could be a way out from the present state. Notes: 1. Nikolai Berdeaev, The Sense of Creation, Humanitas, Bucharest, Ibid. 3. Calude Trésmontant, La mystique chrétienne et l avenir de l homme, Seuil, Paris,

141 4. J. Krishnamurti, The Path, The Star Publishing Trust, Holand, Ibid Rudolf Streiner, Grundlinien einer Erkenntnisstheorie der Goetheschen Weltanschauung, G.A.2, Frank Lloyd Wright, Text Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, Benedikt Taschen, Frank Lloyd Wright, A Testament, New York, Ja!Stimmen des Arbeitrasts für Kunst, Verlag Photographisches Gesellschaft, Charlottenburg, Jane A. Sharp, The Critical Reception of the 10 Exhibition Malevich and Benna in De Grote Utopie-Catalog-Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Paul Klee, Schriften DuMont Verlag Köln. 12. Louis Kahn, Space and the Inspirations, «L Architecture d Aujourd hui», Alvar Aalto, Culture&Technology, Suomi Finland, USA, Ibid Le Corbusier, Précisions sur un état présente de l Architecture et de l Urbanisme, Les d.g.crés, Paris. 16. Alvar Aalto, National Planification and the Objectives of Culture, Suomalainen Suomi, Rudolf Steiner, Das Goetheanum in seinem zehn Jahren in der Goetheanum Gedanke inmittel KulturKrisis des Gegenwart, G.A. 36, Ibid Alvar Aalto, The Reconstruction of Europe, Arkkitetti, M. Taut and O.M. Ungers, Die Gläserne Kette, Visionäre Architektur aus dem Kreis um Bruno Taut , Berlin, Ibid W. Boesinger, H. Gisberger, Le Corbusier , les Editions d Architecture, Zürich. 23. Ibid Kenneth Frampton, Modern Architecture. A Critical History, Thammes & Hudson. 25. P. Scheerbart & B. Taut, Glass Architecture and Alpine Architecture, N.Y., Wolfgang Pehnt, Expressionist Architecture in drawings, Van Nostrand Reinhold N.Y. 27. Ibid. 28. Ibid Bauhaus , Catalog of the exhibition, Musée National d Art Moderne, Musée d Art de la ville de Paris. 30. Ibid Bauhaus Archiv, Bauhaus, Benedikt Tashen Magdalena Droste. 32. Ibid. 33. Ibid. 34. Walter Gropius, Katalog, Bauhaus Archiv, Ibid Ibid Theo van Doesburg, The will of style, Exhibition Catalog, Abbemuseum Eindhoven. 38. Ibid Piet Mondrian, New Art, New Life, Amsterdam, Karsten-Peter Warncke, De Stijl , Benedikt Tashen. 41. Ibid. 42. H.L.C. Jaffé, De Stijl The Doutch Contribution to Modern Art, Amsterdam, Ibid. 24. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 141

142 44. Ibid Ibid. 46. Peter Blake, The Difficult Art of Simplicity, «L Architecture d Aujourd hui», Mies van der Rohe, The new era, «L Architecture d Aujourd hui», David B. Brownlee, Louis I. Kahn: In the realm of David G. De Long Architecture, MOCA Rizzoli N.Y. 49. Ibid Ibid. 51. Ibid. 52. Ibid. 48. loan Andreescu (Architect s Bulletin, International Magazine for Theory of Architecture, volume 117 / 118, October 1993, pp. 6 15)

143 Despre vizibil [i invizibil Scenografia locurilor [i a simbolurilor. Timi[oara IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI I. Ruptur` [i continuitate Studiind, în urm` cu cå]iva ani, vechea pia]` Sf. Gheorghe din Timi[oara, Romånia, am descoperit o lume de stranii continuit`]i, ascuns` în spatele unei aparente rupturi istorice: acele descoperiri m-au determinat s` dau dovad` de mult` pruden]` atunci cånd abordez conceptul de discontinuitate în istoria urban`. Ceea ce p`rea a fi lupta pentru putere dintre dou` moduri foarte diferite de organizare mental`, spiritual` [i social`, încle[tarea ultim` dintre materialismul luminat reprezentat de burghezia «progresist`» de la sfår[itul secolului al XIX-lea [i «spiritualismul decadent» reprezentat de biserica catolic` si de clasele feudale «reac]ionare» s-a dovedit a fi, la un nivel invizibil, o lupt` între for]e «simbolice» de importan]` egal`. Descrierea devenit` deja clasic` a «oamenilor noi» de la sfår[itul secolului al XIX-lea [i începutul secolului al XX-lea sun` astfel: «Încrederea în progres [i în [tiin]ele (naturale) era omniprezent`; în completarea acesteia venea relativismul, care nega toate valorile etice [i condi]iona cunoa[terea de starea cercet`rii sau de situa]ia istoric`, de starea mental` a individului, de societate sau de clasa social` c`reia îi apar]ineai. Atitudinea [tiin]ific` (nep`rtinitoare [i critic`) era considerat` idealul omului emancipat; descoperirile [tiin]ifice [i teoriile erau considerate îns`[i esen]a ideologiilor, care aspirau s` ocupe locul de]inut de religie» (1). Este opozi]ia pozitivism spiritualism una veritabil`? Ajungem astfel la o problem` extrem de delicat`: importante personalit`]i progresiste care au tr`it la sfår[itul secolului al XIX-lea în Europa, precum Jules Ferry în Fran]a (sau omologul s`u din Romånia, Spiru Haret), care au promovat legisla]ia anticlerical`, sisteme educa]ionale civile ([i materialiste), etc. erau membrii 143

144 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Sf. Gheorghe. Principala pictur` din altarul catedralei (1760) / St. George. Main Altarpiece of the Domkirche (1760) Statuia Sf. Gheorghe / The Equestrian statue of Sf. Gheorghe unei asocia]ii (sau fr`]ii) fondate pe cunoa[terea gnostic` [i ermetic`, precum [i pe ceremonii [i reguli simbolice datånd din vechime Francmasoneria. Acest conflict s-a manifestat pe tot parcursul sfår[itului de secol XIX în toat` Europa, respectiv în Fran]a, Spania, Italia (prin Cavour), Germania (Kulturkampf-ul lui Bismark), dar nic`ieri într-o form` atåt de complicat` precum în Imperiul Austro-Ungar, perioada tårzie. 2. Timi[oara [i Vechiul Imperiu 2.1. Pu]in` istorie Ora[ul Timi[oara, ast`zi al doilea ora[ al Romåniei, a fost timp de dou` secole ( ) un important centru al Imperiului Austro-Ungar. Dezvoltarea urban` a ora[ului a fost puternic marcat` de aceast` perioad`. Timi[oara a fost întemeiat` în secolul al XIII-lea, iar castelul fortificat ridicat de c`tre regele Carol Robert d Anjou exist` [i în zilele noastre. Înc` de la început, ora[ul s-a dezvoltat pe tiparul unui «sistem planetar», fiind alc`tuit dintr-o fort`rea]` central` [i mai multe a[ez`ri distincte, devenite ulterior cartiere, dispuse în jurul acesteia. 144

145 IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Hart` veche a Timi[oarei / General plan of Timi[oara Ora[ul a fost ocupat de turci în secolul al XVI-lea; ace[tia au d`råmat catedrala gotic` Sf. Gheorghe, ridicånd Marea Moschee, exact în acela[i loc. Austriecii au capturat ora[ul în 1718 [i, dup` mai multe confrunt`ri ( ), au adoptat o politic` de distrugere [i reconstruc]ie, creånd un ora[ «ideal» tipic (actualmente «Centrul Ora[ului» zona istoric`). Cea mai important` cl`dire care nu a fost atins` de lucr`rile sistematice de reconstruc]ie a fost Moscheea, modificat` ulterior pentru a face loc Bisericii Sf. George, Biserica Colegiului Iezuit, construit` în stil baroc. În noua sa form`, ora[ul avea o structur` stradal` rectangular`, înconjurat` de o imens` Fortifica]ie Vauban, trei por]i [i trei pie]e principale, care corespundeau celor trei mari puteri (2): puterea religioas`: Pia]a Sf. Gheorghe cu Colegiul Iezuit, puterea militar`: Pia]a Libert`]ii, cu palatul Guvernatorului militar, puterea civil`: pia]a Unirii, cu palatul guvernatorului civil [i Catedrala (interfa]a dintre biseric` [i societate). Între 1718 [i 1849, ora[ul a fost în principal un centru militar [i administrativ. Dup` 1850, a suferit modific`ri radicale, devenind 145

146 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Propunerea de reabilitare a str`zii Sf. Gheorghe din partea arhitec]ilor I. Andreescu [i A. Iona[iu / Proposal for the St. George square : arch. Andreescu I. And Ioan[iu A. un înfloritor centru industrial [i bancar: 1910 din [aptezeci de mii de locuitori (de la zece mii în 1850), dou`sprezece mii sunt lucr`tori industriali; 1913 [aizeci de uzine, treizeci [i dou` de b`nci comerciale, optzeci de [coli; din 1877 o a[a-numit` «Uniune a Inginerilor [i Arhitec]ilor» a ini]iat o campanie pe termen lung pentru înfiin]area unei Universit`]i Tehnice în Timi[oara, centru al noului sistem de înv`]`månt progresist. Acesta va fi inaugurat în 1922, îns` nu de împ`rat, ci de c`tre regele Romåniei (3). Aceast` nou` stare de fapt va afecta aspectul ora[ului nu numai din punct de vedere fizic, ci [i simbolic Un imperiu în declin ultimii ani Din punct de vedere politic, istoria Imperiului Austro-Ungar a fost marcat` în ultima sa jum`tate de secol de existen]` de lupta continu` dintre for]ele «progresiste» (burghezia na]ionalist`) [i opozi]ia «reac]ionar`» (biserica [i monarhia). Imperiul era mo[tenitorul de drept al Sacrului Imperiu Roman un Regat Apostolic condus de un Împ`rat care era unsul lui Dumnezeu. Dup` compromisul istoric din

147 («Aufgleich»), Imperiul a fost divizat în dou` state moderne, na]ionaliste: Austria [i Ungaria. O lupt` complicat`, mai degrab` un straniu balet, a început între burghezia nou-ap`rut`, na]ionalist` [i liberal`, [i for]ele monarhice tradi]ionaliste, dar cosmopolite (4): Conducere liberal`, cu reducerea influen]ei Bisericii Catolice; 1868 Emanciparea evreilor; 1871 Autonomie local`, Actul privind na]ionalitatea liberal` (Ungaria); 1882 Reforma electoral`, introducerea «micii burghezii» în via]a politic`; Guvern de lung` durat` al contelui Taffe în Austria: metodele statului poli]ienesc, predominan]a «cercului de fier», cu subminarea progresului liberal. Contele Tisza duce aceea[i politic` a «måinii de fier» în Ungaria; 1907 Sufragiul universal. Consiliul imperial este blocat de majoritatea non-german` [i non-maghiar`. Dup` 1909 [i pån` la c`derea Imperiului, un guvern autoritar interzice libert`]ile politice de baz`, conducånd prin decrete (5). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 2.3. Evolu]ii urbane în Timi[oara Începånd cu secolul al XVIII-lea, dup` ce a fost complet reconstruit, ora[ul a f`cut obiectul unei «analize» [i «îmbun`t`]iri» permanente din partea arhitec]ilor [i a inginerilor de profesie. Dup` 1867, evenimentele se succed foarte repede: 1867 Este înfiin]at un «Serviciu tehnic [i urban» modern. Se vor întocmi nenum`rate planuri de dezvoltare urban`. Acestea au tendin]a de a fi din ce în ce mai radicale, pe m`sur` ce balan]a politic` local` înclin` spre liberalism; 1892 Fortifica]iile sunt d`råmate. Ora[ul înceteaz` a mai fi un important centru militar; Arhitec]i renumi]i, cum ar fi prof. Szestay [i prof. von Ibl din Budapesta, avanseaz` ideea unei noi structuri urbane, care s` reproduc` Bulevardul Ringstrasse din Viena. Timi[oara urmeaz` s` devin` «Klein Wien» (mica Vien`); 147

148 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Sistemul de propor]ii al str`zii Sf. Gheorghe / The proportioning system of the St. George Square Stan Vidrighin, renumit inginer constructor romån, propune un nou concept pentru sistemul de canalizare al ora[ului. Realizat între 1912 [i 1914, acesta înc` mai formeaz` coloana vertebral` a re]elei actuale. Vidrighin va deveni primar dup` unirea cu Romånia O lung` b`t`lie care a început în 1901 este cå[tigat` în numele Consiliului liberal al Ora[ului. Un uria[ bulevard desf`[urat de-a lungul axei est-vest urmeaz` s` «taie» inima zonei istorice pentru a lega centrul ora[ului de dou` cartiere satelit înfloritoare. Bulevardul va altera în mod ireversibil aspectul a dou` dintre pie]ele istorice: Pia]a Libert`]ii (centrul puterii militare) [i pia]a Sf. Gheorghe (centrul puterii religioase). Imediat dup` ce se prime[te aprobarea pentru proiectul final de la Ministerul de Interne, cele mai respectate altare din vechiul ora[ cel al Bisericii Iezuite Sf. George [i cel al Bisericii Franciscane sunt înl`turate (6). Revolu]ionarul proiect nu a fost niciodat` finalizat; nu c` ar fi existat vreodat` aceast` inten]ie, deoarece axa real` a interven]iei era est sud-vest, dup` cum au stabilit inginerul-[ef Szilard [i inginerul Briger în planul de ameliorare a drumurilor, care lega cele dou` sta]ii principale de cale ferat` ( ). Acest plan general, care propunea [i o remodelare foarte atent` a celor dou` pie]e mutilate, a fost pus în aplicare f`r` întårziere. 148

149 IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Plan Pia]a Sf. Gheorghe / Plan of St. George Square 3. Secretele unei pie]e 3.1. Loc [i geometrie În forma sa actual`, pia]a Sf. Gheorghe este un dreptunghi perfect, m`rginit pe laturile de la est [i vest de dou` cl`diri masive: Casa de Economii (1870) [i Banca «Albina» (1930). M`sur`torile exacte f`cute de noi arat` c`, în elaborarea propor]iilor pie]ei între , sec]iunea de aur a fost utilizat` într-o manier` sofisticat` prin dubla suprapunere a unor dreptunghiuri de aur atåt vertical, cåt [i orizontal, în leg`tur` cu sistemul de propor]ionare al cl`dirii deja existente (Casa de Economii, 1870). Prin trasarea diagonalelor tuturor acestor dreptunghiuri a[a-numitul «trace regulateur» ob]inem dou` cruci malteze perfecte Francmasoneria [i Ordinul Maltez Majoritatea oamenilor «noi» de la începutul secolului al XX-lea din Europa [i din SUA, arhitec]i, ingineri, profesori, doctori, avoca]i, industriali[ti, bancheri, erau membri ai unei asocia]ii, Francmasoneria, a c`rei form` actual`, conturat` în secolul al XVIII-lea, este rezultatul fuziunii mai multor credin]e str`vechi [i al unor organiza]ii seculare. Sursele spirituale ale Francmasoneriei sunt în general identificate în gnosticismul neoplatonic, Kabala evreiasc` [i alchimia oriental`, precum [i în vechea religie egiptean` [i în cultele pitagoreice (7). Organiza]iile tradi]ionale care probabil s-au unit 149

150 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban pentru a forma aceast` «fr`]ie» sunt: breslele me[te[ug`re[ti medievale cu cele trei trepte ale lor (Ucenic admis, Calf` [i Me[ter) (8), aripa ocult` a ordinelor cavalere[ti ap`rute în timpul cruciadelor, în special Ordinul Templierilor [i Ordinul Maltez sau Ioanit (grade ale Cavalerilor Templieri sau Cavaleri de Malta) (9). Scopul ultim al unui francmason este acela de a fi ini]iat «singur în labirint», pentru a ob]ine o cunoa[tere superioar` despre Marele Arhitect al Universului. În practic`, ei lupt` pentru libertate, egalitate, fraternitate, democra]ie reprezentativ`, justi]ie social`, progres [i promovarea filantropiei. Revolu]ia francez` [i, în special Revolu]ia European` de la 1848, urmat` de conexiunea istoric` dintre statul na]ional [i societatea [i economia liberal` au fost puternic influen]ate de gåndirea [i ac]iunile francmasonilor. În Europa Central` [i de Est, în special în Ungaria [i Romånia, francmasoneria a jucat un rol esen]ial în na[terea statului na]ional modern. În Ungaria (care includea în acel timp [i Timi[oara), Francmasoneria a ap`rut la sfår[itul secolului al optsprezecelea. Reprezentan]ii ei sus]ineau ]elurile Iluminismului: progres, justi]ie, institu]ii laice. Na[terea unor institu]ii moderne cum ar fi Academia, Teatrul Na]ional, Societatea Filarmonic` este stråns legat` de ac]iunile lor. Începånd din 1796 (anul falsei conspira]ii Martinovici) pån` în 1848, autorit`]ile imperiale au impus restric]ii asupra activit`]ii lojelor, îns` to]i conduc`torii revolu]iei na]ionale de la 1848, în frunte cu Kossuth, erau francmasoni. Dup` opera]iuni dure de reprimare, în 1861, s-a produs o mi[care de resurec]ie, iar rolul Lojelor Masonice a devenit din ce în ce mai important în ultimii ani ai monarhiei, pe m`sur` ce societatea suferea schimb`ri [i ap`reau noi idealuri. Numai între 1900 [i 1918 num`rul francmasonilor a crescut de la 3600 la 7000, iar cel al lojelor, de la patruzeci [i [ase la peste o sut` (10). Lojele aveau rolul lor în lupta pentru [coli publice, pentru reducerea influen]ei Bisericii Catolice, votul universal [i autonomie local`. Prima [i cea mai important` loj` federativ` din Ungaria a fost Marea Loj` Simbolic` sau Loja Ioanit`, care era de fapt o Loj` 150

151 Maltez` ce utiliza culori, simboluri [i ranguri mo[tenite de la vechii cavaleri. Loja avea folosind termenii din zilele noastre un punct de vedere militant, de stånga, adoptånd o atitudine hot`råt` în special în ceea ce privea biserica catolic` în general [i Ordinul Iezuit în special (11). În 1922, dup` unirea Banatului [i a Transilvaniei cu Regatul Romåniei, Loja Simbolic` unific` toate lojele maghiare existente în acel teritoriu; cå]iva ani mai tårziu, se une[te cu Marea Loj` Na]ional` din Romånia sub numele «Uniunea Lojelor Ioanite», organiza]ie maltez` (12). Ordinul Ioanit a fost întemeiat în anul Cavalerii luptau pe P`måntul Sfånt în timpul Cruciadelor [i au r`mas între 1244 and 1291 în Accra. Se pare c` în aceast` perioad` au fost influen]a]i de gnosticismul durabil [i tradi]ionalismul ermetic al locurilor. Ca [i în cazul cavalerilor templieri, printre ioani]i a prins fiin]` o ramur` ocult` care s-a dezvoltat treptat, cå[tigånd influen]` dup` Mai noroco[i decåt tovar`[ii lor templieri, cavalerii ioani]i s-au retras în Cipru, Rodos (1530) [i în cele din urm` în Malta (1544), c`minul lor de peste dou` secole [i jum`tate. Numele secret al Maltei era Melita, adic` miere. Mierea este un simbol alchimic al abstragerii chintesen]ei finale. Este reprezentat` simbolic prin albinele aurii. În 1798, Napoleon cucere[te insula. Ramura ocult` a ordinului emigreaz` în Rusia, alegåndu-l pe ]arul Paul I (Sf. Paul a tr`it un timp în Malta) drept Mare Maestru. Ordinul ocult a c`p`tat ulterior denumirea de Masonic [i s-a r`spåndit în toat` Europa Central` (13). În 1832, ramura catolic` a Ordinului a fost restabilit` în Roma, în 1879 a fost numit un nou Mare Maestru catolic, iar începånd din 1880 ramura catolic` se bucur` de privilegii deosebite în Monarhia Austro-Ungar` pentru a contrabalansa influen]a crescånd` a Lojelor Malteze (14). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 3.3. Cucerirea simbolic` Timi[oara a fost mult` vreme un ora[ catolic [i militar dedicat înc` de la început cultului Sf. Gheorghe. Prima catedral` i-a fost, de altfel, închinat`. 151

152 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Noua catedral` catolic` ridicat` la mijlocul secolului al XVIII-lea are drept pies` central` a altarului un portret uria[ al Sf. George, sfåntul patron al ordinelor cavalere[ti [i deci [i al cavalerilor de Malta. Sfåntul este reprezentat c`lare pe un cal alb; este protejat de o armur` neagr` [i poart` o manta ro[ie. Albul, ro[ul [i negrul albedo, rubedo, nigredo sunt culorile simbolice ale ordinelor catolice [i masonice. Biserica iezuit` Sf. George a fost d`råmat` prin decizia unui Consiliu Municipal iluminat alc`tuit în principal din membri ai Lojei Ioanite (Malteze) în Forma sa este imediat ajustat`, atribuindu-i-se acele propor]ii stranii [i devenind s`la[ul invizibil a dou` cruci malteze. În 1913 încep lucr`rile de construire a unui nou sediu de banc` peste funda]iile Bisericii. Acesta va fi inaugurat în 1930, imediat dup` Unirea Banatului cu Romånia [i în acela[i an în care a avut loc fuziunea Lojei Ioanite Unite. Numele b`ncii era Albina, iar holul ei este decorat în numai trei culori: stuc alb, marmur` ro[ie [i bronz negru. 4. O dat` cu trecerea timpului Evolu]ii recente Dup` c`derea regimului comunist în 1989, un om de afaceri romån revenit din exil a ocupat o parte din cl`direa Albina, solicitåndu-i firmei noastre s` elaboreze un proiect detaliat de reabilitare a pie]ei Sf. Gheorghe, aflat` în proces de degradare. Inten]ia sa era de a restitui acestui loc gloria de odinioar`. În cursul anchetelor derulate pe teren [i la bibliotec`, am descoperit urmele unei lupte fascinante [i secrete duse asupra simbolurilor oculte, care a avut loc pe parcursul întregii istorii a ora[ului, aparent în urm` cu cå]iva ani. Proiectul nostru [i-a propus s` dezv`luie o parte din traseul regulator al pie]ei utiliz0ånd trei culori pentru trotuare: alb, ro[u [i negru. Transformat` în zon` pietonal`, pia]a urma s` fie decorat` cu obiecte de art` urban` atent selec]ionate: o fåntån` [i un obelisc. Superbele fa]ade ale cl`dirilor din perimetru au fost incluse în proiect, pentru a pune în valoare evidenta concordan]` dintre diagonalele «de aur» ale pie]ei [i propor]iile acesteia. 152

153 Autoriza]ia de construc]ie a fost emis` în 1993, îns`, din motive necunoscute, proiectul nostru nu a fost niciodat` finalizat Concluzie În 1995, Asocia]ia «Memorialul Revolu]iei» a f`cut ultimele demersuri în cadrul unei ac]iuni monumentale: plasarea unei statui de bronz a Sf. Gheorghe în centrul Pie]ei Sf. Gheorghe. Un gest colectiv al mai multor arhitec]i [i arti[ti (arhitect M. Botescu, arhitect S. Mordunescu, arhitect P. Alamoreanu, artist Silvia Radu), sus]inut de importante contribu]ii publice, acesta aduce o nou` dimensiune îndelungatei istorii simbolice a pie]ei. Statuia ecvestr` este considerat` a fi o «icoan`» ortodox` [i un «efigiu cre[tin» al sfåntului «ve[nic tån`r» (15). În februarie 1996, statuia a fost expus` temporar în fa]a faimoasei galerii «Catacomba» din Bucure[ti, punctul culminant al rena[terii curentului ortodox în Romånia. Dup` mai bine de [apte secole, povestea continu` la nesfår[it: «parvis» al unei catedrale gotice închinate sfåntului cavaler, «maidan» al Marii Moschei, pia]` baroc` a Bisericii Iezuite închinate din nou sfåntului, pia]` masonic` ad`postind un simbol masonic secret [i care prezint` acum efigia sfåntului într-o versiune ultraortodox`, Pia]a Sf. Gheorghe este dovada vie a faptului c`, dincolo de rupturile istorice, spa]iile publice [i, cu prec`dere, cele urbane exhib` eterna înclina]ie a oamenilor c`tre expresia simbolic` [i, în cele din urm`, c`tre puterea simbolic`. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. Hermann Kinder, Werner Higemann Atlas of World History, Vol.II, Penguin Books. 2. Georges Dumezil, Mythe et epopee, Vol I, Ed. Gallimard, Mihai Opri[, Timi[oara, Ed. Tehnic`, Bucure[ti, Michael Pollak, Vienne 1900, Archives, Gallimard, Ibid Ibid Paul Naudon, Histoire generale de la Franc Maconnerie, Ed. Office du livre, John R. Hinnelis, Dictionary of Religions, Penguin Books. 9. Vasile Lovinescu, Al patrulea hagialåc, Ed. Cartea Romåneasc`, Daniel Beresniek, La Franc Maçonnerie en Europe de l Est, Ed. du Rocher, Op. cit. 12. Op. cit. 13. Ibid

154 14. Op. cit. 15. Sorin Dumitrescu, Calea, Adev`rul [i Via]a (în «Romånia liber`» din 17 februarie 1996). Ioan Andreescu Traducere: Claudia Rada (Catalogul Congresului UIA de la Barcelona, 1996)

155 The Visible and the Invisible Place and Symbolic Scenography. Timi[oara IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI I. Rupture & Continuity Studying a few years ago the old square «St. George» in Timi[oara (Romania) I have discovered a world of strange continuities hidden behind apparent historic rupture; those findings made me extremely cautious about the very concept of discontinuity in urban history. What seemed to be the power struggle between two very different ways of mental spiritual and social organization, the apparently ultimate fight between enlightened materialism embodied in the «progressive» bourgeoisie of the late XIX-th century and the «decaying spiritualism» as incorporated in the catholic church and «reactionary» feudal classes proved to be, at an unseen level the fight between «symbolic» forces of equal importance. The already classical description of the «new people» of the late XIX-th and early XX-th century enunciates: «A faith in progress and (natural) science was prevalent; it was completed by relativism, which denied all ethical values and made cognition dependent on the state of research or the historical situation, on the state of mind of the individual, on society, or on the class to which one belonged. A scientific attitude (unprejudiced, critical) was considered the ideal of the emancipated man; science findings and theories were made the substance of ideologies which claimed to take the place of religion» (1). Is the opposition positivism vs. spiritualism a true one? We touch here a very sensitive ground: important progressive personalities of the late XIX-th century in Europe like Jules Ferry in France (or his Romanian counterpart Spiru Haret), which promoted anti clerical legislation, civil (and materialistic) schooling systems, 155

156 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space etc. were membres of an association (or fraternity) based on gnostic and hermetic knowledge and very old symbolic ceremonies and rules: the Freemasonry. That conflict manifested itself during the late nineteenth century throughout Europe: in France, Spain, Italy (with Cavour), Germany (Bismark`s Kulturkampf) but it was nowhere as complicated as in the late Austro-Hungarian Empire. 2. Timi[oara & the Old Empire 2.1. A bit of History The city of Timi[oara, today the second city of Romania, was for exactly two centuries ( ) an important centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The urban development of the city has been strongly imprinted by this period. Timi[oara was founded in the XIII-th century and the fortified castle erected by the king Carol Robert d Anjou still exists today. From the beginning, the town developed a sort of «planetary system» with a central fortress and distinctive boroughs later districts orbiting around. It was occupied by the Turks in the XVI th century; they have erased the gothic cathedral of St. George and erected the Great Mosque exactly on the same spot. Austrians took the city in 1718 and after a few gears ( ) adopt a policy of destroying and rebuilding, creating a typical «ideal» city (actually the «City» historic district). The only important building not to be disturbed by the orderly reconstruction was the Mosque, lately altered to fit the New St. George baroque church, the Jesuit College Church. In his new form, the city had a rectangular pattern of streets, surrounded by a huge Vauban Fortification. It had three gates and three main places corresponding to the three main powers (2): the sacred: place St. George with the Jesuit College, the military: place of Liberty with the military governor s palace, the civil: place of Unity with the palace of the civil governor and the Cathedral Church (which was the interface between the church and society). 156

157 From 1718 till 1849 the city was mainly a military and administrative centre. After 1850, it changed completely, becoming a booming industrial and banking centre: 1910, from seventy thousand inhabitants (ten thousand in 1850), twelve thousands are industrial workers; 1913, sixty industrial plants, thirty two commercial banks, eighty schools; from 1877, a so-called «Union of Engineers &Architects» started a long term campaign for the establishment of a Technical University in Timi[oara, the paragon of the new enlightened education. It will be inaugurated in 1922 not by the emperor but by the king of Romania (3). That new situation will affect in more then one way the shape of the city not only physically, but also symbolically. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 2.2. A Declining Empire the Final Years Politically the Austro Hungarian Empire s history was shaped in the final half a century of its existence, by the continuous fight between the so-called «progressive» forces (nationalistic bourgeoisies) and the «reactionary» resistance (church, monarchy). The Empire was the lawfully inheritant of the Sacred Roman Empire the Apostolic Kingdom ruled by an Emperor anointed by God. After the historic compromise of 1867 («Aufgleich») it was divided between two new born modern and nationalistic states: Austria and Hungary. A complicated fight rather a strange ballet dance, started between the new liberal and nationalistic bourgeoisie and the traditionalistic but cosmopolitan monarchic forces (4): Liberal ruling, reducing the influence of Catholic Church; 1868 Emancipation of Jews; 1871 Local autonomy, Liberal Nationality Act (Hungary); 1882 Electoral reform, introducing the «petit bourgeoisie» in political life; Long government of count Taffe in Austria: police state methods, dominance of the «iron circle» undermining the liberal progress. Count Tisza and his «iron hand» do the same in Hungary; 157

158 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space 1907 The universal manhood suffrage. The Imperial Council is blocked by the non German and non Hungarian majority. After 1909 till the end an authoritarian government is blocking the basic political freedoms, ruling by decree (5) Urban Developments in Timi[oara Since the early eighteenth century, after its complete rebuilding the city was permanently «scanned» and «improved» by professional architects and engineers. From 1867 onwards the succession of the events becomes very fast: 1867 Establishing of a modern «Technical and urban service». Innumerable urban development plans will be issued. They tend to be more and more radical as the local political balance inclines towards liberalism Fortifications are turned down. The city s importance as a military centre is vanishing The famed architects prof. Szestay and prof. von Ibl of Budapest are advancing the idea of a new urban pattern reproducing the Ringstrasse of Vienna. Timi[oara is to become a «Klein Wien» (Small Vienna) Stan Yidrighin, a famed Romanian civil engineer is proposing a new concept for the city s sewage system. Realized between it still is the backbone of the present network. Vidrighin will be mayor after the unification with Romania A long battle started in is won on behalf of the liberal City Council. A huge est west boulevard is to be «cut» in the very substance of the historic area in order to connect the centre with two booming satellite districts. The avenue will irretrievably alter two of the three historic places: the Liberty place (military) and the St. George place (sacred). Immediately after the approval of the final design by the Ministry of the Interior the most respected shrines of the old city the St. George Jesuit Church and the Franciscan Church are turned down. (6) The breakthrough was never finished, nor was it supposed to be, since the real axis of development was directed east southwest as established by chief engineer Szilard and eng. Briger in their road improvement plan connecting the two main railroad stations 158

159 ( ). This general plan proposing also a very careful reshaping of the two mutilated places was carried out without delay. 3. The Secrets of a Place 3.1. Place & Geometry In its actual shape, the place St. George is a perfect rectangle bordered on the east and west side by two massive buildings The Saving House (1870) and the «Albina» Bank (1930). The exact measurements made by us revealed that in the proportioning of the place in the golden section was used in a sophisticated way by the employment of a double superposition of golden rectangles both vertically and horizontally, in connection with the proportioning system of the already existing building (The Saving House 1870). Constructing the diagonals of all those rectanales the «trace regulateur» one obtains two perfectly shaped Malta crosses. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 3.2. Freemasonry and the Maltese Order Most of the «new» people at the beginning of the twentieth century in Europe and in the USA as well, architects, engineers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, industrialists, bankers were members of on association, the Freemasonry whose actual form shaped in the XVIII th century is the result of the fusion of several ancient spiritual beliefs and ancient organizations. The spiritual sources of the Freemasonry are supposed to be the neo platonic gnosis, the Jewish Kabala and the oriental alchemy as well the ancient Egyptian religion and the Pythagorean cults (7). The traditional organizations which probably coalesced to form this «brotherhood» are: the medieval craft guilds with their three degrees (Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Meson) (8), the occult wing of the chivalry orders born during the Crusades especially Templars and Maltese or Johannites (degrees of Knight Templar or knight of Malta) (9). The ultimate aim of a freemason is to be initiated «alone in the labyrinth», in order to obtain superior knowledge about the Great Architect of the universe. Practically, they fought for freedom, 159

160 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space equality, fraternity, representative democracy, social justice, progress and charity. The French Revolution, and especially the 1848 European Revolution followed by the historic connection between the national state and liberal society and economy were heavily influenced by the freemason s thought and action. In Central and Eastern Europe, especially in Hungary and Romania the role of Freemasonry was seminal in the birth of the modern national statehood. In Hungary (Timi[oara was then a part of it) Freemasonry started its presence at the end of the eighteenth century. They stood for the Enlightments goals: progress, justice, secular institutions. The birth of such modern institutions as The Academy, The National Theatre, The Philarmonic, Society is connected to their action. From 1796 (year of the fake Martinovici conspiration) till 1848 the imperial authorities imposed a stand still to the lodges but all the leaders of the 1848 national revolution, starting with Kossuth were freemasons. After a fierce repression the great resurrection started in 1861 and the role of the Masonic Lodges became more and more important in the last years of the monarchy as the society was changing and the new ideals developed. Only between 1900 and 1918 the number of freemasons grew from 3600 to 7000 and that of the lodges from forty-six to more than one hundred (10). The lodges had their share in the struggle for civil schools, for the reduction of the influence of the Catholic Church, the universal manhood vote, and for local autonomy. The first and most important federative lodge in Hungary was the Great Symbolic Lodge or Johannite Lodge which was in fact a Maltese Lodge using colours, symbols and degrees inherited from the ancient knights. The Lodge had as we say today a militant leftist, political standpoint, having an aggressive attitude especially towards the catholic church in general and towards the Jesuit Order in particular (11). In 1922, after the Union of Banat and Transylvania with the Romanian Kingdom the Symbolic Lodge is gathering together all Hungarian lodges in those territories; a few years later it is fusing 160

161 with the Great National Lodge of Romania under the name of «The Union of Johannite Lodges», a Maltese organization (12). The Johannite Order was founded in the year The knights fought in the Holy Land during the Crusades and were stationed between 1244 and 1291 in Accra. Apparently during that period they were influenced by the longstanding gnostic and hermetic traditional of the place. As in the case of the Templars, amids the Johonnites an occult branch developed slowly, becoming influential after More fortuned then their fellow Templar knights, Johannites withdrew in the islands of Cyprus, Rhodes (1530) and finally Malta (1544), their turf for more than two and a half centuries. Malta s secret name was Melita honey. Honey is an alchemical symbol for the abstraction of the final quintessence. It is symbolically represented by golden bees. In 1798 Napoleon takes over the island. The occult branch of the order immigrates in Russia, choosing tsar Paul I (St. Paul lived for some time in Malta) as the Grand Master. The occult order became a Masonic denomination and spread throughout Central Europe (13). In 1832 the Catholic branch of the Order was re established in Rome, a new catholic Great Master was appointed in 1879 and from 1880 onwards the catholic branch receives great privileges in the Austro Hungarian Monarchy in order to balance the ever growing influence of the Maltese Lodges (14). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 3.3. The Symbolic Takeover Timi[oara has been for a long time a catholic military town, dedicated from the very beginning to the cult of St. George. The first cathedral was also dedicated to him The new catholic cathedral, built in the mid eighteenth century has as the main altarpiece a huge portrait of St. George, patron saint of chivalry orders, also patron of Maltese knights. The saint is riding a white horse, he is protected by a black armor and he s wearing a red mantle. White, red, black albedo, rubedo, nigredo are the symbolic colors of both catholic and masonic orders. The rebuilt Jesuit Church of St. George was torn down by a decision of an enlightened City Council composed mainly of members of the Johannite (Maltese) Lodge, in Immediately the 161

162 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space space is reshaped receiving that strange proportion and invisible seat of two Maltese crosses. Atop of the foundations of the Church, the erection of a new banking building starts in It will be inaugurated exactly in1930, after the Union of Banat with Romania and in the same year when the fusion of the United Johannite Lodge took place. The bank s name was Albina The Bee and the banking hall is adorned in only three colors: white stucco, red marble and black bronze. 4. As Time Goes by 4.1 Recent Developments After the fall of communism in 1989, a Romanian businessman returned from exile took possession of a part of the Albina palace. He asked our firm to produce a comprehensive design for the rehabilitation of the decaying place St.George. His aim was to bring the place to its former glory. During the field and library investigation we have discovered the lines of a fascinating and secretive combat over occult symbols which took place during the entire history of the city apparently till a few decades ago. In our design we proposed a partial disclosure of the place s «trace regulateur» using for the pavements the tree colors: white, red and black. Transformed in a pedestrian area, the place was to be adorned with properly selected urban furniture a fountain and an obelisk. The superb facades of the perimeter buildings were included in the project since everybody could see the match between the «golden» diagonals of the square and the palaces own proportioning system. The building permit was issued in 1993 but for unknown reasons our project was never carried to completion Conclusion In 1995 «The Memorial of the Revolution» Association, took the final steps toward a monumental gesture: Placing a bronze statue of St. George in the very middle of St. George square. A collective gesture of many architects and artists (Arch. M. Botescu, arch. S. Mordunescu, arch. P. Alamoreanu, artist Silvia 162

163 Radu), supported by a large public contribution, it adds a new dimension to the long symbolic history of the place. The equestrian statue is considered to be an orthodox «icon» and a «Christian effigy» of the «eternally young» saint (15). In February 1996 the statue was temporarily exhibited in front of the famed gallery «Catacomba» in Bucharest, the high point of the Orthodox revival current in Romania. After more than seven centuries the unending story goes on and on: «parvis» of a gothic cathedral dedicated to the knight saint, «maidan» of the Great Mosque, baroque place of the Jesuitic Church dedicated again to the saint, urban square bearing a secret Masonic seal, and now exhibiting the saint s effigy in an ultra orthodox version, the St. George square is a vivid proof that behind historic rupture, places especially urban places display the enduring inclination of people for symbolic expression and ultimately symbolic power. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Bibliographical Notes: 1. Hermann Kinder, Werner Higemann Atlas of World History, Vol.II, Penguin Books. 2. Georges Dumezil, Mythe et epopee, Vol I, Ed. Gallimard, Mihai Opri[, Timi[oara, Ed. Tehnic`, Bucure[ti, Michael Pollak, Vienne 1900, Archives, Gallimard, Ibid Ibid Paul Naudon, Histoire generale de la Franc Maçonnerie, Ed Office du livre, John R. Hinnelis, Dictionary of religions, Penguin Books. 9. Vasile Lovinescu, Al patrulea hagialåc, (The fourth pilgrimage), Ed. Cartea Romåneasc`, Daniel Beresniek, La Franc Maçonnerie en Europe de l Est, Ed. du Rocher, Op. cit. 12. Op. cit. 13. Ibid Op. cit. 15. Sorin Dumitrescu, Calea, Adev`rul [i Via]a (The Way, The Truth, The Life), in «Romånia liber`» 17 th February, Ioan Andreescu (The UIA Barcelona Congress Catalogue, 1996) 163

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165 Arhitectura ca hipertext Sau «imaginea» ca moarte a integrit`]ii IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Criticii literari de avangard`, precum faimosul Robert Coover, apostolul literaturii \n cyberspa]iu vorbesc frecvent despre moartea c`r]ii ca obiect cultural finit. n locul unei c`r]i a[ezate \n integritatea unui subiect, populat` cu personaje plauzibile [i derulat` \n ritmurile liniare ale unei structuri narative clare, apare altceva: un peisaj geografic discontinuu, un labirint f`r` ie[ire, f`r` \nceput sau sfår[it, imposibil de reprezentat \n totalitate cu alte cuvinte un hipertext. Firul parcurgerii se prelinge la infinit \n bucle Möebius [i bifurca]ii continue, \ntr-un carnaval de aluzii, conexiuni [i trimiteri, f`r` a oferi vreo dezlegare. Aceste capcane infinite evoc` viziunile paradoxale ale unor p`rin]i fondatori: Borges, Cortázar, Calvino. Arhitectura de ast`zi tr`ie[te, la råndul s`u dincolo de asumarea con[tient` a procesului, din multiplicarea iconurilor, din delirul fragmentului, din rotunjirea imaginilor \ntr-o re]ea nesfår[it`... Pån` [i demersurile minimaliste nu fac decåt s` creasc` poten]ialul fragment`rii, ad`ugånd gr`un]e de contrast. Paradigm` reprezentativ` a arhitecturii [i urbanismului cu \ncepere de la mijlocul secolului al XX-lea, «Disneyland-ul» propune la råndul s`u o extrem de ingenioas` asamblare de fragmente ale trecutului [i prezentului, un mozaic sumar [i falsificat al culturilor vechi [i noi, al miturilor [i profe]iilor populare \ntr-un parcurs ciclic [i infinit ca traseu. «Disneyland-ul» nu se multiplic` permanent doar pe sine, el se amplific` la scara global` \n cele mai diverse ipostaze: parcuri turistice, shoping mall-uri, cazinouri, «global containere», centre 165

166 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban recreative (1), muzee ale [tiin]ei [i tehnicii (2), expozi]ii mondiale, comunit`]i «speciale», cum ar fi or`[elele «de basm», de tip «Celebration» construite chiar de Walt Disney Corporation. Pån` [i \n «seriosul» cåmp al protec]iei patrimoniului, asocierile heterodoxe de natural [i artificial, vechi [i nou, tehnologic [i artistic, antic [i futurist, sfår[esc prin a inautentifica \ntregul [i prin a deschide drumul asocia]iilor inconsistente [i mincinoase. C`ci esen]a hipertextului \n versiunea sa fizic-arhitectural` este minciuna, care a[a cum arat` Baudrillard (3) st` la «baza succesului lui Walt Disney, precursor abil al unei lumi de o promiscuitate radical`». Arhitectura modern` a stat, \nc` de la timpuriile sale \nceputuri, sub semnul c`ut`rii autenticului sub diverse forme: tectonic-construit, material, social, func]ional [i, \n cele din urm`, spiritual. Pentru marii mae[tri moderni Wright, Mies, Le Corbusier [i Kahn adev`rul era problema central` a crea]iei. Opera modern` imaginat` cåteodat` la dimensiuni colosale era \ntotdeauna articulat` finit, autentic` [i integr`. n destructurarea actual` a finitului, unii precum Alberto Cerritas v`d \nceputurile unei «Vårste a Con[tiin]ei Complexit`]ii... dincolo de Vårsta Manifestelor». n sudul Vienei, nu departe de confuzia fragmentar` a racordurilor de autostrad` [i a uria[elor Mall-uri ale «Shopping Center-ului Süd», printre fragmente de or`[ele medievale \ncrustate \ntre secven]ele incoerente ale altei lumi, se afl` pe vårful unui deal o structur` enigmatic`: faimoasa «Wotruba Kirche». Realizat` \n anii 60 ca machet` de c`tre singularul artist Fritz Wotruba [i realizat` practic mai tårziu de discipolul s`u Fritz Mayr, cl`direa intrig` [i ilumineaz`. Cultivatorii actuali ai fragmentului de imagine o consider` premonitorie, c`ci este alc`tuit` dintr-o multiplicitate aparent dezordonat` de «buc`]i». Dar buc`]ile nu sunt imagini inautentice, ci sunt fragmente masive de beton brut coagulate \n jurul unui spa]iu de lumin`. Jocul multiplic`rii aparent haotice converge \n unitatea, 166

167 str`lucirea [i consisten]a unei celebr`ri care reface integritatea pe un plan superior. Imposibil de clasificat, enigmatic [i tulbur`tor, edificiul arat` poate o cale dincolo de buclele [i curbele, tropii [i inversiunile de semnifica]ie care caracterizeaz` timpul actual [i imaginile sale. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. Precum replicile japoneze de ale ora[elor medievale europene: Rothenburg, Ob der Taube, Haga etc. 2. Precum cele mai recente: Valencia sau Brooklyn. 3. n eseul «L illusion de la fin oú La gréve des evenements» (Paris: Galilée 1992). Ioan Andreescu (Articol ap`rut ini]ial \n num`rul 7 / 2000 al revistei «Arhitext») 167

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169 Architecture as Hypertext Or «the Image» as the Death of Wholeness IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Avant-garde literary critics, like the famous Robert Coover, the apostle of cyber space literature, frequently talk about the death of the book as a finite cultural object. The place of the book evincing unity of topic, populated with plausible characters and unfolding in the linear rhythm of a narrative structure is being taken by something else: a discontinuous geographical landscape, a labyrinth affording no way out, without beginning and without end, impossible to encompass in its entirety in other words, a hypertext. The intrigue goes on for ever in Möebius loops and continuous bifurcations, in a carnival of hints, connections and references, without ever offering a solution. These infinite traps evoke the paradoxical visions of forefathers like Borges, Cortázar, Calvino. Today s architecture nourishes, in its turn beyond the conscious assumption of the process on a multiplication of icons, on the delirium of fragments, on images rounded in an endless network Even minimalist efforts only manage to increase the potential of these operations of disintegration, adding grains of contrast. The representative paradigm of architecture and town planning, starting from the middle of the XXth century, namely the «Disneyland», proposes, in its turn, an extremely resourceful compilation of fragments from the past and present, a concise and forged mosaic of old and new cultures, of myths and popular prophecies, along a cyclical route that never ends. The «Disneyland» not only multiplies itself, it is being expanded worldwide in the most varied forms: tourist itineraries, shopping malls, casinos, «global containers», recreational centers (1), museums of science and technique (2), global exhibitions, «special» communities 169

170 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space such as the «fairytale» little towns like «Celebration», built by the Walt Disney Corporation itself. Even in the «serious» field of patrimony protection, the heterodox joining of the natural and the artificial, the old and the new, the technological and the artistic, the ancient and the futuristic, ends up conveying an overall feeling of inauthenticity and opening the road for inconsistent and deceitful associations. Because the essence of the hypertext in its physical-architectural version is deceit, which, as shown by Baudrillard (3) forms the basis of «the success of Walt Disney, resourceful predecessor of a world of a radical promiscuity». Modern architecture represented, ever since its early beginnings, a search for the authentic in its various forms: tectonic-built up, material, social, functional and, in the end, spiritual. For the great modern masters like Wright, Mies, Le Corbusier and Kahn, truth was the central issue of creation. The modern artistic achievement, sometimes conceived at colossal dimensions, always boasted a whole, authentic and honest articulation. In the current de-structuring of the finite, some people like Alberto Cerritas see the beginnings of an «Age of a Consciousness of Complexity... beyond the Age of Manifestos». In the South of Vienna, not far from the fragmentary confusion created by highway connections and giant malls of the «Süd Shopping Center», among fragments of medieval towns caught in the incoherent sequences of another world, an enigmatic structure rises on top of a hill: the famous Wotruba Kirche. Constructed in the 60s as a mock-up by the remarkable artist Fritz Wotruba and constructed later by his disciple, Fritz Mayr, the entire building bewilders and illuminates. The current practitioners of the image fragment consider it prophetic, composed as it is of an apparently disorderly multiplicity of pieces. However, such pieces are not inauthentic images; they are massive fragments of rough concrete, grouped around a space of light. The play of the apparently chaotic multiplicity converges in the unity, brightness and consistency of a celebration which restores wholeness on a higher level. 170

171 Unclassifiable, enigmatic and disturbing, the edifice might be pointing out a path, beyond the loops and curves, metaphors and reversals of significance which characterize our time and its images. Notes: 1. Like the Japanese replicas of European medieval cities: Rothenburg, Ob der Taube, The Hague etc. 2. Like the most recent ones: Valencia or Brooklyn. 3. In the essay «L illusion de la fin oú La gréve des evenements» (Paris: Galilée 1992). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Ioan Andreescu Translation: Claudia Rada (The article was initially published in issue no. 7 / 2000 of «Arhitext» magazine) 171

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173 Despre tradi]ie [i modernitate Sau Consisten]a \ndoielnic` a identit`]ii colective IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI ncepånd cu 1980, m-am al`turat unui grup de colegi (Florin Colpacci, Vlad Gaivoronschi, Adrian Iona[iu, Claudiu Panaitescu), care participau constant la concursuri interna]ionale de idei de arhitectur`. O mare parte din temele abordate se refereau la rela]ia tradi]ie modernitate, pe care reflexia post-modern` o adusese din nou \n aten]ie. Prietenii mei debutaser` \n explorarea tradi]iei printr-o elegant` analiz` critic` a unui model al arhitecturii pre-moderne romåne[ti «Casa Cartianu» din secolul al XVIII-lea. Cuvintele-cheie \n analizele noastre erau: «context», «specific», «intersec]ie», «natur`», «topos»; textele tutelare erau eseurile lui Kazuo Shinohara sau Kisho Kurosawa, care abordau rela]ia tradi]ie modernitate cu sentimentul \mp`rt`[it [i de intelectualii romåni: c` tradi]ia era intim legat` de fondul autohton, neoccidental al culturii na]ionale, \n timp ce modernitatea era un atribut al «Canonului Occidental», a[a cum s-a conturat, mai ales, de la Rena[tere \ncoace. Citind, mai tårziu, cartea lui Edward W. Said, Orientalism (1), aveam s` descifrez fundamentul acestei opozi]ii culturale, c`ci Occidentul a impus Orientului un statut de alter-ego, atribuindu-i un imobilism, un tribalism [i o fidelitate fa]` de tradi]ie ce contrastau cu mobilitatea [i individualismul umanist pe care [i le atribuia lui \nsu[i. Alte lecturi ale timpului ne consolidau o fascina]ie fa]` de «buna» tradi]ie autentic` \n opozi]ie cu cea propagandistic` [i oficial`: Gesius loci, 1981, a lui Christian Norberg-Schulz, marele fi[ier al lui Christopher Alexander, A Pattern Language (1977) [i eseul lui Kenneth Framton, Critical Regionalism: Modern Architecture and Cultural Identity (1984). Orientarea gåndirii [i sensul tradi]ionalismului «bun», «\nr`d`cinarea» \ntr-un strat fecund al 173

174 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban «Casa Cartianu» concurs 1979 / «House Cartianu» competition 1979 identit`]ii era alimentat` de lucr`rile reintrate atunci \n circuitul cultural al «Tinerei Genera]ii» de filozofi [i antropologi romåni antebelici: Constantin Noica, Mircea Eliade, precum [i de opera antecesorului lor poetul Lucian Blaga. n Orizont [i stil, acesta lansa teza vie, pån` ast`zi, \n anumite cercuri unei «matrici stilistice» a fiin]ei ca invariant \n manifest`rile specifice na]ionale; tot Blaga a pus \n circula]ie [i alt` longeviv` teorie aceea a «retragerii romånilor din istorie». Aceste viziuni, care excludeau civiliza]ia urban`, valorizånd ruralul, arhaicul [i izolarea ca surse ale tradi]iei na]ionale, au fost reluate de filozoful cel mai apreciat de genera]ia mea: Constantin Noica, cel care inutil s` specific`m era, ca [i Blaga, de forma]ie german`, herderian` \n sensul obsesiei pentru «volk», limb` na]ional` [i tradi]ie descifrat` hermeneutic. ncepånd cu anii 70, Noica iese din «t`cerea» impus` de autorit`]ile comuniste datorit` trecutului s`u de extrem` dreapt` na]ionalist`, nuan]åndu-[i mesajul \ntr-un soi de «filozofie a fiin]ei» de tip heideggerian, exprimat` \n texte precum: Crea]ie [i frumos \n rostirea romåneasc` (1973), Sentimentul romånesc al fiin]ei (1978), Devenirea \ntru fiin]` (1981), etc. Explor`rile sale hermeneutice l-au dus la concluzia c` «Fiin]a» («Sein») se manifest` autohton [i na]ional prin «fiin]a romåneasc`». Poporul romån de]ine prin tradi]ie nu doar o ontologie, ci [i «un sentiment» al fiin]ei asociat cu o «modulare» proprie a fiin]`rii sau o «u[ur`tate» a «Sein»-ului care-l va face apt s` produc` \n viitorul 174

175 imediat o remarcabil` sintez` \ntre arhaism [i lumea tehnologic`; astfel, Romånia va accede prin tradi]iile sale cele mai profunde la modernitate, devenind «Atena» viitorului. n siajul noicismului, anii 80 au v`zut [i recuperarea de c`tre filozofi [i arti[ti a ortodoxiei [i re\ncorporarea sa \n defini]ia identit`]ii. Mi[carea \nceput` de Horia Bernea, Sorin Dumitrescu, Marin Gherasim [.a.m.d. a fost reluat` la modul sofisticat \n anii 90 de Teodor Baconski [i al]ii. n aceast` atmosfer`, desf`[urarea c`ut`rilor mele [i ale grupului din care f`ceam parte a urmat o ciudat` pendulare \ntre tentativa de a \n]elege tradi]ia ca o posibil` «\ntålnire» cu teme universale fundamentale [i tenta]ia «smulgerii» din \nr`d`cinare, exprimat` prin atrac]ia simultan` c`tre tehnologie [i c`tre operele arhitecturale ale unui «Canon Occidental», definit \n sensul lui Harold Bloom (2), ca o colec]ie exemplar` de opere apar]inånd unor arhitec]i ca Palladio, Schinkel, Mies sau Le Corbusier. C`utarea identit`]ii \ntre tradi]ia \n]eleas`, de noi, ca arhaism «ontologic» [i modernitatea perceput` ca expersie a unei culturi occidentale v`zute ca un continuu de la Rena[tere pån` \n contemporaneitate, s-a dovedit a fi labirintic`. n anul 1980 am r`spuns temei de concurs lansate de Fumihiko Maki «A Chapel of Meditation» prin metafora unui labirint. C`utarea de sine ca r`t`cire tragic`... Nu lipsea \ns` o asumare a lumii arhaice [i mitologice mediteraneene ca fragment valid al identit`]ii noastre. Un an mai tårziu, aceea[i obsesie a atingerii universalit`]ii prin asumarea tradi]iei profunde a dus, \n cadrul concursului «Dools House», la un r`spuns paradoxal: un sicriu hieratic ad`postind atåt o cas` \n form` de «Theatrum» miniatural, dar [i o reprezentare ortodox` a «Punerii \n mormånt». Era o \nscenare de a pune \n rela]ie tradi]ia mistic` oriental` [i modelul reprezent`rii spa]iale post-renascentist, punctul de leg`tur` fiind teoria lui Michel Foucault, potrivit c`reia copil`ria ocrotit`, ferit` de marile traume cum ar fi spectacolul mor]ii, al violen]ei este o crea]ie a occidentului «epocii clasice». Punctul maxim \n \ncercarea de a investiga tradi]ia \n]eleas` ca arhaism inspirator l-am atins \n preg`tirea concursului japonez IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 175

176 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban «O capel` de medita]ie» concurs 1980 / «A Chapel for meditation» competition 1980 A House between Tradition and Modernity (1983). Am ales ca punct de pornire forma cea mai «autentic`» a tradi]iei constructive na]ionale aflat` dincolo de orice influen]e externe sau perturba]ii interne bordeiul, locuin]a \ngropat` \n p`månt, \nc` prezent` la \nceputul secolului al XX-lea. Presupunerea c` am ales o direc]ie inspirat` datorit` bog`]iei de simboluri, de conota]ii religioase, antropologice sau ecologice s-a dovedit un e[ec. Magia inspira]iei a refuzat s` se produc` [i criza acestei direc]ii s-a dovedit real`. Pendula s-a deplasat apoi c`tre direc]ia opus`, la råndul s`u organizat` \n jurul polilor complementari ai tehnologiei [i «Canonului Occidental». n anul e[ecului «fundamentalist», grupul a finalizat alte concursuri: A Theatre for Tours (Praga) [i Architektuurmuseum (Olanda). Primul proiect era o celebrare deschis` a canonului o platform` urban` cu decoruri fixe inspirate din peisajele lui De Chirico, a[ezate peste un hemiciclu subteran care exhiba legendara cortin` a lui Schinkel. Cel`lalt r`spuns era o stranie premoni]ie a viitorului imediat al tehnologiei, deoarece presupunea un muzeu arhitectural virtual accesibil printr-o re]ea informatic` ce sem`na cu ceea ce avea s` devin` Internetul. 176

177 IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI «Un teatru pentru turnee» concurs 1983 / «A theatre for tours» competition 1983 Cå]iva ani mai tårziu cu o alt` constituire a grupului aveam s` încerc, cu prilejul altui concurs, Pentru o locuire poetic` (Bucure[ti, 1987) s` asociez tehnologia [i Canonul ad`ugånd un element de leg`tur` natura. A rezultat o structur` imaginar` puternic` o cas` plutitoare [i scufundabil`. În mijlocul unei insule tehnologice se afla un portic clasic: insula se poate scufunda gradual, astfel încåt apa modific` permanent propor]iile coloanelor oferind spectacolul unei apocalipse domestice controlabile [i simbolice. Marea, tehnologia [i arhitectura clasic` se unesc întro puternic` metafor` a desprinderii de arhaismul local sau contingent. Frecventarea lui Noica mi-a deschis apetitul pentru Heidegger dar nici m`car celebra defini]ie din Originea operei de art`: «cerul [i p`måntul, zeii [i muritorii» care a[az` crea]ia la intersec]ia între înr`d`cinare [i despreindere, temporalitate [i eternitate, nu mi-a putut înfrånge circumspec]ia n`scånd` privind centralitatea tradi]iei în discursul identitar. Aceast` circumspec]ie mi-a fost amplificat` în anii care au urmat de cåteva «întålniri» decisive cu c`r]i, cu ora[e [i cu evenimente dramatice ale «istoriei». Lecturi din Herder, Hegel, Fichte [i fra]ii Grimm mi-au relevat originile unei 177

178 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Hart` a Timi[oarei la \nceputul sec. al XVIII-lea / Map of Timi[oara city from XVIIIth siecle perspective filozofice [i istorice aupra identit`]ii na]ionale, v`zut` ca o expresie a unei etnii («Volk») [i manifestat`, în primul rånd, prin limb` [i tradi]ii folclorice, coerente [i unitare. Am descoperit gradual inconsisten]a [i ambiguit`]ile opozi]iei «tradi]ie modernitate», atåt timp cåt «tradi]ia», mai ales cea «na]ional`», este o fa]` a modernit`]ii, o modalitate de a organiza coeren]a într-o lume care a trecut rapid de la ordinea monarhic` [i economia de subzisten]` la statul industrial [i la societatea de mase. Procedeele prin care se instituie «tradi]ia» na]ional` sunt «foarte» interna]ionale. Repertoriul se repet` identic: epopei populare, festivaluri, costume [i ritualuri salutar «culese» [i difuzate «înainte de a disp`rea», limbi na]ionale artificial construite din dialecte considerate ca reprezentative, patrimonii arhitectural [i istorice artificiale, cum ar fi Domul din Köln, castelele Rinului, «Pierrefonds», «Neuschwanstein», «Bastionul Pescarilor» peisaje «tipice», ca, de exemplu, pusta maghiar`, Alpii sau dealuri toscane, muzee ale satului, «Freilichtmuseum»-uri, r`spåndite din Scandinavia [i pån` la Bucure[ti, show-uri folclorice [i pavilioane «na]ionale» la expozi]iile mondiale, eroi [i legende istorice, mituri 178

179 IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Plan al localit`]ilor din jurul Timi[oarei sf. sec. XVIII-lea / Plan of the neighbored cities of Timi[oara the end of XVIIIth siecle de tot felul r`spåndite de manualele [colare [i mass-media, iar ca trufanda mai recent` [i «[tiin]ific`» variatele studii de antropologie... Avem de-a face cu o «identitate» creat` artificial [i coerent care oculteaz` eficace orice mo[tenire real` va fi existat cu adev`rat. Pentru Romånia, ca [i pentru toate celelalte state central europene desprinse din structuri imperiale multietnice (Imperiile Otoman, Rusesc, Sovietic sau Austro-Ungar), afirmarea, voluntar vehement` [i cåteodat` violent` a unit`]ii na]ionale bazate pe tradi]ie, expim` de multe ori o cert` nesiguran]` vindicativ` ale c`rei consecin]e se pot vedea cu u[urin]`. Întålnirea cu un punct de cotitur` al istoriei a avut loc pentru mine în anul 1989 la Timi[oara. Una din temele obsesive ale discursurilor, sloganurilor [i cåntecelor demonstra]iilor era abolirea barierelor «tradi]ionale» între etnii [i grupuri culturale. Ecumenismul aparent al regimului comunist era mixat cu un na]ionalism rudimentar: oamenii Timi[oarei în acele zile suspendate între teroare [i a[teptarea unui miracol scandau pe str`zi «Timi[oara» [i «Europa». C`rei «tradi]ii» na]ionale \i apar]ine Timi[oara? 179

180 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Ora[ul, în forma sa actual`, apar]ine iluminismului iosefinian [i liberalismului austriac din secolul al XIX-lea, era o mic` fortifica]ie într-o mla[tin` depopulat`. Desecarea mla[tinilor, organizarea unei formidabile infrastructuri (drumuri, canale, etc.), înso]it` de colonizarea sistematic` de popula]ii diverse (romåni, germani, bulgari, sårbi, croa]i, evrei, etc.) au dus la na[terea unui ora[ prosper în mijlocul unei extinse re]ele de localit`]i. În absen]a unei elite feudale [i din fericire a unei inteligen]e virulent na]ionaliste, popula]iile au format un mod de convie]uire bazat compromis, pe care locuitorii de azi îl numesc «spiritul Timi[oarei». Începånd din anul 1989 [i trecånd prin recrudescen]a na]ionalismului din primii ani 90, ora[ul a refuzat defini]ia etnic` a identit`]ii sale; în locul celor care au plecat germani, evrei, chiar romåni [i maghiari au venit al]i romåni, al]i germani, italieni, francezi [i arabi, dar spiritul a r`mas. Alte dou` ora[e mi-au transmis un «mesaj» limpede privind aspectul devastator al mitului tradi]iei na]ionale coerente: Salonicul [i Istanbulul. Salonicul apare vizitatorului actual ca un ora[ modern, activ, a c`rui bogat` mo[tenire istoric` a fost atent «chiuretat`». Exist` azi cåteva biserici bizantine «prea bine» restaurate, cåteva fragmente antice, dou`-trei str`zi orientale [i ascunse ca ni[te prezen]e incomode, cåteva moschei, b`i [i sinagogi. Enciclopediile de la începutul secolului arat` c` al doilea centru economic al Imperiului Otoman avea locuitori permanen]i, dintre care circa evrei, aromåni, turci [i restul albanezi, slavi, armeni [i abia greci. Aceste etnii aveau cartiere, l`ca[uri de cult, locuin]e, bazare, [coli, etc. Aproape nimic n-a supravie]uit în ora[ul pur grecesc de azi. Un patrimoniu bizantin a fost recl`dit din resturi improbabile [i un muzeu bizantin a ap`rut modelat în idiomul post-modern, g`zduind colec]ii de la muntele Athos. Obiectivul cultural cel mai important este Muzeul Arheologic, care ad`poste[te mormintele dinastiei macedonene; mai exist` gloria de a fi fost în 1997 «Capitala Cultural` a Europei». Istanbulul reprezint` cazul extrem al «na]ionaliz`rii», la toate nivelurile, a unei structuri de o remarcabil` complexitate etnic` [i cultural`. Vechea capital` roman`, bizantin`, otoman` ad`postea, la începutul secolului al XX-lea, un mozaic ie[it 180

181 din comun: elite grece[ti [i ermane[ti francofone în cartierele occidentale Pera [i Galata, greci fanario]i în jurul patriarhiei ecumenice, egipteni, albanezi, sirieni, evrei sefarzi, etc.. în jurul bazarelor [i cartierelor specifice, elite practic din toate provinciile în suburbiile de pe malurile Bosforului. Rånd pe rånd de cele mai multe ori prin violen]` «revolu]ia na]ional`» a golit ora[ul: întåi armenii (1917), apoi grecii ( ), pe urm` evreii [i arabii au disp`rut, împreun` cu mo[tenirea lor cultural`. Opera de restaurare a monumentelor este foarte selectiv` [i, cu pu]ine excep]ii, centrat` asupra monumentelor otomane. Uniformitatea etno-na]ional` începe îns` s` fie perturbat` de sosirea unei masive emigra]ii din Europa de este [i, mai ales, din Rusia. Exemplul romånesc este la fel de elocvent. n anul 1930, peste un sfert din popula]ia ]`rii era alc`tuit` din maghiari, germani, evrei, greci, ru[i, bulgari, sårbi, armeni, t`tari, etc. Cvasi-totalitatea ora[elor importante ale «Romåniei Mari» ad`postea importante comunit`]i «alogene» bine structurate urbanistic, social [i cultural. n multe ora[e, popula]ia romåneasc` era minoritar`. Situa]ia a provocat o mi[care \n dou` trepte a «establishment»-ului romånesc, politic cultural: tentativ` de «promovare» din fericire non-violent` a elementului autohton, \nso]it` de promovarea unui stil arhitectural «na]ional» pseudo-bizantin pentru edificiile publice [i de cult: reac]ie cultural` autohnist`, «tradi]ionalist`», bazat` pe refuzul culturii urbane «str`ine [i corupte» [i pe c`utarea identit`]ii \n tradi]ia rural` (...). Un modernism autentic [i cosmopolit urban [i critic fa]` de excesele tradi]iei nu s-a putut dezvolta complet \n cultura romåneasc` (...). Referindu-se la identitatea cultural` [i la valorile societ`]ii civile din ]`rile lor (Cehia, Polonia, Ungaria), unii autori (Cezlaw Milor, Milan Kundera, Istvan Szucsi) defineau, de fapt, o nou` zon` de excluziune. Ecumenismul (central) european relua de fapt pattern-ul lui Said: Occident vs. Orient (3). Ei defineau o arie de civiliza]ie aparte: Mitteleuropa (...) separat` [i distinct` de restul Europei de R`s`rit; se contura viziunea de noi frontiere \ntre lumin` [i \ntuneric mutat` la grani]ele estice ale acestor ]`ri, o nou` IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 181

182 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban frontier` cultural` [i politic`, pe care «realpolitik»-ul de dup` 1990 o va confirma. Consecin]ele dezintegr`rii iugoslave au ar`tat \nc` o dat` limitele [i pericolele jocului cu «tradi]iile» etnice, locale sau na]ionale. n timp ce fragmentele desprinse din mozaic \[i inventau un discurs violent al tradi]iilor identitare, comentariul de pres` [i academic occidental plonja \n contradic]ii explicative. (...). R`måne reprezentativ comentariul lui George Kennan al`turat republic`rii din 1993 a raportului Funda]iei Carnegie din 1913 privind r`zboaiele balcanice; \n acest studiu, intitulat Crizele Balcanice 1913 [i 1993 (4), autorul atribuie ferocitatea confrunt`rilor inter-etnice din fosta Iugoslavie unui ansamblu de tradi]ii «tribale» [i «ne-europene», cultivate de-a lungul secolelor [i prezente [i azi. Un num`r de proiecte \n care am fost implicat dup` 1900 m-a pus din nou fa]` \n fa]` cu delicata problem` a tradi]iei (...). n 1993, la cererea unor firme private, am elaborat un studiu privind reamenajarea Pie]ei «Sfåntul Gheorghe» una din cele tei pie]e istorice din Timi[oara. Pie]ele corespund diviziunii tripartite definite de de Georges Dumézil: Pia]a Sfåntul Gheorghe corespunde polului sacru (...), Pia]a Unirii cu palatul guvernatorului civil apar]inea polului economic [i administrativ, iar Pia]a Libert`]ii cu palatul generalului comandant era destinat` puterii militare. n anul 1911, un Consiliu Municipal liberal, ales prin vot universal \n cadrul noii politici de autonomie local`, ia m`suri de remodelare a ora[ului vechi printr-o «str`pungere» niciodat` finalizat`; cu acest prilej, biserica Sfåntul Gheorghe [i Colegiul Iezuit sunt demolate [i palatele unor b`nci se substituie vechilor edificii pe conturul ref`cut al pie]ei. Am descoperit c` proiec]ia pe pia]` a traseelor regulatoare ale palatelor de pe contur producea \n mod exact desenul a dou` Cruci de Malta suprapuse. Culorile (alb-ro[u-negru) [i simbolurile utilizate \n decorarea b`ncii construite exact peste funda]ia bisericii erau consistente cu aceast` diagram`. Culori, simboluri [i trasee ap`reau \n propunerea noastr`, prin suprapunere cu direc]ii de mi[care [i mobilier urban contemporan \ntr-o «dezv`luire» a unor subtile transferuri de autoritate. Din anul 1996, firma din care fac parte (Andreescu & Gaivoronschi) a ini]iat un proiect complex de renovare [i reconversie a unui obiect reprezentativ pentru tradi]iile multiple 182

183 ale Banatului timi[orean conacul Banloc. Conacul, parcul [i anexele, \mpreun` cu satul [i marea ferm` \nconjur`toare, apar]in unui model de produc]ie [i locuire tipic pentru secolul al XVIII-lea b`n`]ean: marele domeniu organizat dup` modelul englezesc (...) Cl`direa principal` este o extindere, apar]inånd barocului terezian, a unei structuri mai vechi, a fost remodelat par]ial \mpreun` cu parcul [i anexele \ntr-un stil neo-gotic la \nceputul secolului al XIX-lea [i completat` cu elemente neo-clasice \n perioada interbelic`. Parcul, de tip englezesc, a fost continuu replantat [i remodelat pån` la cel de-al Doilea R`zboi Mondial. Domeniul [i-a schimbat de cåteva ori proprietarii, trecånd din måinile unei nobile familii croate \n posesia unei familii aristocratice maghiare de origine romån` Karacsony pentru a trece apoi \n patrimoniul Casei Regale a Romåniei. Grav avariat [i mutilat \n timpul comunismului, vandalizat dup` 1900, complexul a conservat o miraculoas` prezen]` datorit` impecabilei structuri constructive a obiectelor principale [i a rezilien]ei parcului (...). Proiectul nostru urm`re[te consolidarea [i conservarea structurii de rezisten]` a conacului, precum [i a anexelor sale prin metode pe cåt posibile neintruzive (...). Complet`rile moderne atåt func]ionale, cåt [i mecanice sunt adaosuri «u[oare», «amabile», subordonate clar expunerii ecor[eului de zid`rie [i [arpant`. Sondajele au eviden]iat etape mai vechi ale structurii care vor fi [i ele expuse. Corpul principal va ad`posti s`lile de seminar [i conferin]`, foyerele [i restaurantul, \n timp ce pavilioanele din parc [i grajdurile vor deveni spa]ii de cazare, expozi]ii [i s`li de audi]ie. Restaurarea parcului va fi f`cut` dup` ultima sa defini]ie din perioada interbelic`, cu excep]ia esplanadei centrale, care va deveni un pol de activitate \n aer liber [i va expune \ntr-o dispozi]ie geometric` abstract` artefacte apar]inånd istoriei domeniului extins: statui baroce, pavilion neo-gotic, fåntån`, etc. Acceptat de Ministrul romån al Culturii [i de guvernele ]`rilor din regiune, conacul p`rea destinat unui viitor sigur centru regional pentru conferin]e [i seminarii pån` cånd r`zboiul din Kosovo [i sanc]iunile aplicate Iugoslaviei l-au plasat \n «amor]ire». Cel mai recent proiect \n care am fost implicat [i care negociaz` cu textura complex` a tradi]iilor se refer` la transformarea «Marii IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 183

184 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Sinagogi» din «Cetatea Timi[oarei» \ntr-un auditorium. Sinagoga a fost construit` \ntre anii cu ocazia emancip`rii evreilor din monarhia austro-ungar`. Prezen]a acestei sinagogi \ntr-un cartier pån` atunci interzis evreilor [i \nc` cu un statut urbanistic egal cu al celor dou` catedrale catolic` [i sårbo-ortodox` avea o dimensiune simbolic` \n epoc` (...). Structura central`, acoperit` cu o cupol`, care putea acomoda peste o mie de oameni, a fost ridicat` \ntr-un sofisticat stil «maur» (ca atåtea sinagogi din Austro-Ungaria [i Germania construit` \n aceea[i epoc`) din c`r`mid` aparent` [i ceramic` mat` sau sm`l]uit`. Diminuarea prin emigrare a comunit`]ii a f`cut necesar` schimbarea destina]iei pentru a prezerva atåt cl`direa, cåt [i structura cartierului. Prin dubla ini]iativ` a «Societ`]ii Filarmonice» [i a «Federa]iei Comunit`]ilor Evreie[ti», sinagoga va deveni, ca urmare a restructur`rii, [i un memorial al istoriei [i culturii celor care au construit-o. Proiectul urm`re[te restaurarea scrupuloas` a edificiului: modific`rile vor fi minime introducerea unui mare podium multifunc]ional, deschiderea arcadelor frontale \n zona de acces, reducerea num`rului de locuri (...). Ambalajul u[or [i transparent, \nf`[urat \n jurul masivei structuri, va permite publicului s` se mi[te literalmente \ntr-o stratificare istoric` [i simbolic`, iar oamenii vor contempla marea cl`dire atåt din interior, cåt [i din exterior (...). Examinånd rela]ia ambigu` «tradi]ie modernitate», cred c` pot desprinde dou` laturi ale problemei: tradi]ia [i modernitatea pot fi percepute ca fe]e ale aceleia[i medalii. O dat` cu reformele «Luminilor» [i cu industrializarea, coeziunea distrus` a lumii vechi a fost \nlocuit` cu una nou` bazat` pe construc]ia na]ional` sprijinit` pe elemente bine selectate ale tradi]iei folclorice, lingvistice, arhitecturale, care au dobåndit un statut intangibil, mitic (...). Dup` politologul Benjamin Barber, lumea global` este pe cale de a reforma radical dialectica tradi]ie modernitate, noii termeni fiind «Mc World» (economia global`) versus «Jihad» (etnona]ionalism virulent + fundamentalism religios) (...). Cre[terii evidente \n unele zone ale lumii a apetitului pentru «Jihad» \i corespunde, \n alte p`r]i restaurarea compulsiv` a monumentelor istorice. De la 184

185 noul hobby japonez al achizi]ion`rii [i reconstruirii \n metropole de vechi forme rurale la pasiunea recent` a «tigrilor» asiatici pentru restaurarea pu]inelor cartiere vechi care le-au r`mas [i pån` la demol`rile de moschei de c`tre hindu[i fanatici sau profanarea \n Israel a «Mormåntului lui Jacob» ar putea s` nu fie decåt o diferen]` de intesitate. Opozi]ia binar` tradi]ie modernitate ar putea genera o triad` a r`spunsurilor (...). Exist` o gåndire utilitarist` care trateaz` promiscuu tradi]ia ca obiect de consum sub forma surogatului, pasti[ei sau alter`rii comerciale: al`turi de aceasta persist` romatismul na]ional pentru care tradi]ia \nseamn` \ncorporarea «geniului» sau a «destinului» unei etnii [i, ca atare, este «izvorul» autentic al oric`rei inspira]ii actuale, \n timp ce al treilea pol este \ncorporat \n avangardism scen` a inova]iilor [i rupturilor, cultur` a contesta]iei [i subversiunii. Cuvintele-cheie care descriau ac]iunile celor trei poli sunt, dup` Luc Ferry: «Consumarea, \nr`d`cinarea, smulgerea» (5). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. Edward W. Said, Orientalism, Pantheon Press, New York, Harold Bloom, The Western Canon, The Books and School of the Ages, Harcourt Brace et Co., Edward W. Said, idem. 4. Harold Bloom, The Other Balkan Wars A 1913 Carnegie Endowment Inquity in Retrospect with a Ntc Introduction and Reflexions on the Present Conflict by George F. Kennan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington D.C., Luc Ferry, Le nouvel. Ioan Andreescu (Prelegere prezentat` \n cadrul Simpozionului de Arhitectur` «Genius loci»; Articol ap`rut ini]ial \n numerele 12 / 2000, 1 / 2001 [i 2 / 2001 ale revistei «Arhitext») 185

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187 On Tradition and Modernity The Doubtful Consistency of the Collective Identity IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Since 1980 I have joined a group of colleagues (1) who were constantly participating in international contests on ideas in architecture. Many of the approached themes dealt with the relation between tradition and modernity that was again brought into attention by the post-modern reflection. My friends had started the exploration of the tradition with a critical analysis of a pattern of the Romanian pre-modern architecture, namely the «Cartianu House» built in the 18th century. The key-words of our analyses were: «context», «specific features», «intersection», «nature», «topos»; the leading writings were the essays of Kazuo Shinohara and Kisho Kurokawa, which approached the tradition modernity relation with a feeling, also shared by Romanian intellectuals, that tradition is / was intimately related to the non-occidental, autochthonous substance of the national culture, whereas the modernity was an attribute of the «Occidental Canon» (2) as it had been shaped especially since the Renaissance on. Later on, when I read Edward W. Said s book Orientalism (3), I was to decipher the basis of this cultural opposition, as the Occident imposed upon the Orient a status of an absolute alter-ego and it ascribed to the Orient traits such as: immobility, tribalism and abidance by the tradition, which contrasted with the mobility and humanitarian individualism that it ascribed to itself. Some other readings of that time enhanced our fascination with the «good» authentic tradition as opposed to the propagandistic and official one: Christian Norberg-Schulz s «Genius loci» (1981), the great index of Cristopher Alexander, A Pattern Language (1977) and Keneth Frampton s Critical Regionalism: Modern Architecture and Cultural Identity (1984). 187

188 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space The thought orientation and the «good» traditionalism direction, the «rootedness» in a fertile stratum of the imagination was nourished by some writings then re-integrated in the cultural circulation of the «Young Generation» of pre-war Romanian philosophers and anthropologists: Constantin Noica, Mircea Vulc`nescu, Ernest Bernea, Mircea Eliade, as well as by the work of their forerunner, the poet Lucian Blaga. In his book, Orizont [i stil (Horizon and Style) the last one put forward the thesis which, within certain circles, has been living up to the present time of a «stylistic matrix» of the being, as an invariant of the specific national manifestations; Blaga also advanced another long-lived theory that of the «Romanians seclusion from history». These outlooks that precluded urban civilization and valued rural, archaic elements and isolation as sources of the national tradition revived by the philosopher most praised by my generation: Constantin Noica, who needless to mention has, as Blaga also did, a Herderian, German philosophical formation in the direction of the obsession with volk, national language and hermeneutically deciphered tradition. Since the seventies, Noica left the silent attitude, imposed by the communist authorities because of his past when he used to have extreme right nationalist sympathies, and gave many shades of nuance to his message in a kind of «philosophy of the being» of Heideggerian type, expressed in writings such as: Crea]ie [i frumos în rostirea romåneasc` (Creation and Beauty in Romanian Language) (1973), Sentimentul romånesc al fiin]ei (The Romanian Feeling of Being) (1978), Devenirea întru fiin]` (The Becoming into Being) (1981) etc. His hermeneutical explorations led him to the conclusion that the Being (Sein) is manifesting autochthonally and nationally through «the Romanian being». The Romanian people hold, by tradition, not only an onthology, but also «a feeling» of being associated with their own «modulation» of beingness or a «ightness» of the Sein, which would make them able to produce in the near future a remarkable synthesis Between archaism and the technological world; thus, Romania would have access to modernity by its most 188

189 profound traditions and would become the «Athens» of the future. In the wake of Noica s ideas the eighties also witnessed the philosophers and artists retrieving of the orthodoxy and its re-integration within the definition of the identity. The cultural movement that began with Horia Bernea, Sorin Dumitrescu, Marin Gherasim and others was sophisticatedly resumed by Teodor Baconsky and others in the 90s. In this atmosphere, the development of the searches mine and my group s was strangely oscillating between the attempt to understand «tradition» as a possible encounter with fundamental universal themes and the temptation of «rooting out» expressed by the simultaneous attraction towards technology and towards the architectural works of an «Occidental Canon», as defined by Harold Bloom (4), as an exemplary collection of works built by Palladio, Schinkel, Mies or Le Corbusier. Between tradition, which we deemed as an «onthological» archaism, and modernity seen as an expression of the occidental culture seen as a continuum since the Renaissance up to the present time, the search for identity turned out to be a labyrinthine one. In 1980, I responded to the contest theme put forward by Fumihiko Maki «A Chapel of Meditation», with the metaphor of a labyrinth. The search for the self as a tragical wandering. Still, there was an acceptance of the Mediterranean archaic and mythological world as a valid part of our identity. A year later, the same obsession with attaining universality by taking upon oneself the profound tradition led to a paradoxical answer at the «Doll s House» contest: a hieratic coffin containing a Theatrum shaped miniature house, but also an orthodox representation of the «Entombment». That was an attempt to relate the Oriental mystical tradition to the model of rational post-renaissance spatial representation, and the link was Michel Foucault s theory according to which protected childhood, guarded against the great traumas such as the display of death, violence etc. is a creation of the Occident of «the classical age». We have reached the peak of this attempt at investigating the tradition, deemed as an inspiring archaism, in preparing the theme for the Japanese contest A House between Tradition and Modernity. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 189

190 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space We chose as a starting point the most authentic form of the national constructive tradition, that was above any external influence or internal perturbation the bordei (pit-hut) a dwelling place dug into earth which was still to be found at the beginning of the 20th century. The assumption that I had chosen an inspired direction, due to the richness of symbols of religious, anthropological or ecological connotations, turned out to be fallacious. The magic of inspiration failed to occur and the crisis of this direction turned out to be a real one. The pendulum moved to the opposite position, in its turn organized around the complementary poles of technology and the «Occidental Canon». In the year of the «fundamentalist» failure, our group competed in two other contests: «A Theatre for Tours» (in Prague) and «Architektuurmuseum» (in the Netherlands). The first project was an obvious celebration of the canon an urban platform provided with immobile decorative work inspired by De Chirico s metaphysical landscapes, placed over an underground hemicycle that displayed the legendary curtain of Schinkel of the Schauspielhaus in Berlin. The other answer was a strange premonition of the technological near future, for we proposed a virtual architectural museum rendered available through a computer network that resembled what was to become the internet. A few years later, on the occasion of another contest, «For a Poetical Dwelling» (Bucharest, 1987), with our group having changed its composition (5), I tried to bring together technology with the «Canon» by supplementing it with a linking element nature. The result was a strong imaginary structure a floating and submersible house. In the middle of a technological island there was a classical portico; the island could gradually immerse in such a manner that water was permanently modifying the proportions of the columns performing the show of a controllable and symbolical domestic apocalypse. The sea, technology and classical architecture merged into a strong metaphor of breaking up with the local or contingent archaism. 190

191 My readings from Noica drove me towards Heidegger but not even the famous definition in The Origin of the Work of Art: «heaven and earth, gods and mortals», that placed the creation at the intersection between rootedness and detachment, temporality and eternity could not make me overcome my emerging circumspection on the central place of tradition in the identity approach. In the years to come, my circumspection was to be augmented by several decisive «encounters» with some books, towns and dramatic events of «history». My readings from Herder, Hegel, Fichte and the Grimm Brothers revealed to me the origins of a philosophical and historical outlook on the national identity deemed as the expression of an ethnic group, Volk, and manifested especially through a coherent and unitary language and folklore tradition. I have gradually discovered the inconsistency and the ambiguities of the «tradition modernity» opposition, since the «tradition» especially the «national» one is another side of modernity, a manner of organizing coherence within a world which rapidly passed from the monarchical state organization and the subsistence economy to the industrial state and the mass society. The procedures by means of which tradition is established are very international. The repertoire is repeating identically: popular epics, festivals, costumes and rituals, salutary collected and disseminated «before their disappearance», national languages artificially made up from dialects that are deemed to be representative, architectural and historical artificial patrimonies such as the Dome of Cologne, the castles on the Rhine, «Pierrefonds», «Neuschwanstein», the «Bastion of the Fishermen» typical landscapes such as, for instance: the Hungarian steppe, the Alps or the Toscana hills, village museums, «Freilichtmuseum» spread all over from Scandinavia to Bucharest, folklore shows, and «national» pavilions at the world exhibitions, historical heroes and legends, all kinds of myths that were disseminated through school books and mass-media and, as a more recent and scientific delicacy, the various anthropology studies. We may ascertain here an artificially and coherently created identity, which efficiently conceals any true heritage that might ever have existed. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 191

192 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space To Romania, as well as to the other Central and East-European countries resulted from the disintegration of the multi-ethnical imperial structures (the Ottoman, the Russian, The Soviet or the Austro-Hungarian Empires) the vehement, voluntary and sometimes violent assertion of the national unity founded on tradition, often is the expression of a vindictive incertitude, the consequences of which are easily noticeable. For me, the encounter with a decisive moment of history, took place in 1989 in Timi[oara. One of the obsessive themes of the discourses, slogans and songs of the participants in the demonstrations was the abolishment of the «traditional» barriers between ethnical and cultural groups. The seeming ecumenism of the communist regime was mixed up with a rudimentary nationalism; the people of Timi[oara in those days suspended between terror and hope for a miracle shouted in the streets «Timi[oara» and «Europa». Which national «tradition» does Timi[oara belong to? In its present-day form the town belongs to the Enlightenment epoch and to the Austrian liberalism of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 18th century, Timi[oara was a small fortified settlement in a depopulated marsh. The draining of the marshes, the organization of a formidable infrastructure (roads, channels etc.) together with the systematic colonization of various populations (Romanians, Germans, Bulgarians, Serbians, Croatians, Jews etc.) brought about the birth of a prosperous town amid an extended network of localities. In the absence of a feudal élite and fortunately of a virulently nationalistic intelligentsia, the populations established a way of living together based on compromise, called «the spirit of Timi[oara» by the nowadays inhabitants. Since 1989, through the recrudescence of nationalism during the nineties, the town rejected the ethnical definition of its identity; those who left, Germans, Jews, even Romanians and Hungarians, were replaced by other Romanians, Germans, Italians, French and Arabs, but the spirit of the town has been preserved. There are two other towns that conveyed to me a clear message concerning the devastating influence of the myth of coherent national tradition: Salonic and Instanbul. 192

193 Salonic appears to a nowadays visitor as a modern, active town whose rich patrimonial heritage was radically altered by the re-building subsequent to the 1917 fire. At present, there are several entirely restored Byzantine churches, a few antique fragments, two or three streets of oriental type hardly noticeable as well as a few traces of the Ottoman epoch. The encyclopaedias of the beginning of our century recorded that the second economic center of the Ottoman empire had 140,000 permanent inhabitants of which approximately 80,000 were Jews, 12,000 were Macedonian Romanians, 20,000 were Turks and the rest of them were Albanese, Slaves, Armenians, and merely 25,000 were Greeks. All these ethnical groups had their own wards, worship places, dwellings, bazars, schools etc. There is hardly anything preserved in the Greek town of our days. A Byzantine patrimony was re-built out of improbable remains and a Byzantine museum emerged, shaped by the post-modern language, sheltering collections from the Athos Mountain. The most important cultural objective is the Archaeological Museum, which shelters the tombs of the Macedonian reigning dynasty; there is also the glory of having been in 1997 the «Cultural Capital of Europe». Istanbul stands for the extreme case of «nationalization» on every level, of a remarkably complex structure from the ethnical and cultural points of view. The ancient Roman, then Byzantine and subsequently Ottoman capital took in, at the beginning of the 20th century, a most peculiar mosaic: French-speaking Greek and Armenian élites in the Pera and Galata wards, Phanariot Greeks around the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Egyptians, Albanians, Syrians, Sephardic Jews etc. around their specific bazars and wards, representatives of the elite from practically all the provinces in the suburbs on the shore of the Bosphorus. The «national revolution» successively cleared up the town: at first the Armenians (1917), then the Greeks ( ), then the Jews and the Arabs disappeared together with their cultural heritage. The work of restoration of the monuments is very selective, and, with a very few exceptions, focused on Ottoman monuments. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 193

194 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space The ethno-national uniformity begins to be altered by a massive emigration from Eastern Europe and especially from Russia. The Romanian example is equally illustrative. In 1930, over a quarter of the population of the country was made up of Hungarians, Germans, Jews, Greeks, Russians, Bulgarians, Serbians, Armenians, Tatars etc. Almost all important towns in the «Great Romania» comprised allogeneous communities, well-structured from the urbanistic, social and cultural points of view. There were many towns where the Romanian population was a minority. This state of affairs resulted in a two-stage reaction of the political and cultural Romanian establishment: an attempt to «promote» fortunately, not violent of the autochthonous elements, concurrent with the promotion of a pseudo-byzantine «national» architectural style for the public and worship edifices and a «traditionalist» autochthonic cultural response, based on the rejection of the «foreign and corrupt» urban culture and on the search for identity within the rural tradition. Under the guidance of Nicolae Iorga, the cultural and monumental patrimony policy complied with a clear line of nationalization and standardization of the traces of the past, by carefully eluding the inconvenient ones Hungarian castles, synagogues, German citadels, Greek and Armenian churches and by bringing the valuable pieces to the same common denominator of two or three «acceptable» styles: the synthesis of {tefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great), the Bråncovenesc style etc. This trend was successfully resumed by the communist regime and outlived, to a certain extent, up to the present time. An authentic cosmopolitan urban modernism, critical as related to the excess of the tradition, was not able to completely develop within the Romanian culture. After a promising inception especially in Bucharest the Romanian modern artists and architects for there was also a numerous minorities component within the modernist circles inclined towards the totalitarian ideologies, hesitating between a monumental classic-like expression and a sophisticated «traditionalism». This is a paradoxical situation, since the «youngsters» of the thirties and forties, later on considered to have represented the 194

195 apex of the inter-war modernity, consequently became much more nationalistic in the fascist meaning of the word than the old «traditionalists», supporters, to a certain extent, of the liberal-democratic values. The «New Generation» Eliade, Noica, Vulc`nescu, }u]ea brought within the ethno-nationalistic movement a philosophical and anthropological sophistication based on an encyclopaedic culture, yet associated with contempt for liberalism and democratic structures. Petre }u]ea, the last survivor of this generation remained faithful to the initial ideals and became a cultural and media celebrity immediately after 1990, when many intellectuals thought that the connection with the non-communist elements of the national culture should be made on the level of the «New Generation». Equally important to me was the reading in samizdat, at the end of the eighties, of several writings by Ceszlaw Milos and Milan Kundera, as well as by the Hungarian historian Istvan Szücs. Besides the fascination and the respect that their position imposed at that time, having read them somehow confused me; in the name of a common «tradition», making reference to cultural identity and to civil society values in their countries (6), these authors actually defined a new area of exclusion. As a matter of fact, the (Central) European ecumenism took over Said s pattern Orient vs. Occident. They were defining a special area of civilization: Mitteleuropa (but not with the Naumann s classical, German-centred meaning) apart and distinct from the rest of Eastern Europe (Romania, the Baltic countries, the Balkans, Russia); the outlook was outlining of a new frontier between light and darkness shifted to the eastern borders of these countries, a new cultural and political frontier that the realpolitik theory after 1990 would confirm. The consequences of the disintegration of Yugoslavia have showed once again the limits and the perils of playing with local and national ethnic «traditions». As the fragments that detached from the mosaic were making up a violent attitude of their identity traditions, the occidental press and academic comments ran into explanatory contradictions. At a moment when the European IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 195

196 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space approach took the promotion of some traditions it is true that these were regional traditions instead of national ones as the key of a sustainable development, many commentators ascribed the violence in the Balkan wars to an exaggerated fidelity to local Balkanic «traditions». George Kennan s comment that was added to the re-publishing in 1993 of the Carnegie Foundation Report of 1913 on the wars in the Balkans, is still representative; in this study called «The Crises in the Balkans in 1913 and 1993» (7), the author ascribes the ferocity of the inter-ethnical confrontations in ex-yugoslavia to a series of «tribal» and «non-european» traditions, fostered through the centuries and still present nowadays. A series of projects that I took part in after 1990, made me again face the critical matter of tradition, which I have resumed from different angles. This time «tradition» appeared to me far from the rigorously national framework and detached from the stiffening concept of the «unity within diversity». The richness of manifestations, the subtleties of superpositions and influences appeared to me as a menu of which one may chose in accordance to an open cultural pattern. In 1993, upon the request of some private companies I drew up a study on the re-arrangement of the «Sf. Gheorghe Square» one of the three historical squares in Timi[oara. The squares correspond to a tripartite division, as it was defined by Georges Dumézil: the St. George Square corresponds to a sacred pole, as it has always contained the religious edifice dedicated to the patron of the town (the Gothic Cathedral, the Jesuitic church and for a certain period even the great mosque), the Unirii Square, holding the civil governor s palace, belonged to the economic and administrative pole, and the Libertatii Square, that held the general commander s palace, which was destined to the military power. In 1911, a Town Council of the Liberal Party, elected by universal sufrage, as a result of the new policy of local autonomy, took actions of re-shaping the ancient town by a «break through» never accomplished; on that occasion the St. George church and the Jesuitic college were demolished and the buildings of some banks replaced the ancient edifices on the re-drawn outline of the square. 196

197 I have found out that the projection on the parvis of the regulating lines of the palaces placed on the outline, gave rise to the exact design of two superposed Maltese crosses. The colours (white-red-black) and the symbols employed for the decorations of the bank that was built exactly on the foundation of the church were compliant with this diagram. In our outlook, colours, symbols and lines, displayed themselves, in an «unveiling» of subtle transfers of authority by superposing with directions of motion and contemporary urban items. Since 1996, the company I am a partner in (Andreescu & Gaivoronschi) initiated a complex project of renovation and re-conversion of an objective illustrative for the multitude of traditions of the Banate of Timi[oara region: the Banloc manor house. The manor house, the park and its dependencies, together with the great surrounding farm, belong to a pattern of production and dwelling typical for the Banate area of the 18th century: the large estate is organized according to an English pattern; there are only a few of this kind that have overlasted. The main edifice built in the Baroque style during the reign of Maria Tereza, is an extension of an older structure and was partially re-shaped together with the park and the dependencies in a Neo-Egyptian style and then in a Neo-Gothic style at the beginning of the 19th century, and supplemented with Neo-Classical elements during the inter-war period. The park, shaped according to the English style, was ceaselessly replanted and re-shaped until the second world war. The estate changed its owners a few times, passing from a Croatian noble family to a Hungarian aristocratic family of Romanian origin the Karacsony family and then to the patrimony of the Royal House of Romania. Seriously deteriorated and damaged during the communist period, vandalized after 1990, the pile preserved its miraculous presence due to the impeccable constructive structure of the main objects and to the resilience of the park. Placed nearby the Serbian border and on the shortest way of access to Austria, Slovenia and Italy, the estate holds a privileged IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 197

198 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space location in order to become an appropriate regional center for congresses and seminars. The purpose of our project is the consolidation and preservation of the bearing structure of the manor house and of its dependencies as well, by as little intrusive methods as possible; the quasi-total loss of the finishings and ornaments allowed us to expose in different ways the original constructive system as such. The modern supplements both the functional and the mechanical ones are «slight» «amiable» and clearly submitted to the exposure of the stripped masonry and framework. Tests evinced older stages of the structure that are also to be exposed. The main body of the building will take in the seminar and conference halls, the foyers and the restaurant, whereas the pavilions in the park and the stables will become accommodation spaces, exhibition halls and auditoriums. The restoration of the park will comply with its last definition before the inter-war period, except for the central esplanade that is supposed to become a center of activity in open air and to exhibit in an abstract geometrical disposition artefacts that belong to the history of the entire estate: Baroque statues, a Neo-Gothic pavilion, a fountain, etc. The project for restoring the manor house had been accepted by the Romanian Ministry of Culture and by the Governments of the neighbouring countries Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria and the mansion seemed to have a «positive» future, but the war in Kosovo and the sanctions imposed upon Yugoslavia rendered it «numb». The most recent project that I was involved in and which negotiates with the intricate texture of tradition is dwelling on the transformation of the «Great Synagogue» of the «Citadel of Timi[oara» into an auditorium. The synagogue was built by a community of neologist rite made up of businessmen, freelancers and intellectuals; most of them were assimilationists. The central structure roofed with a cupola and that could take in over one thousand people was built of face brick and matte or enameled ceramics, in a sophisticated Moorish (8) style. 198

199 The community diminished due to emigration, and that led to the necessity of changing the use of the building in order to preserve it and the structure of the ward as well. This initiative of conversion belonged to the «Philharmonic Society» which recently resumed its activity and has been fully approved by the Jewish community. By means of this twofold initiative of the «Philharmonic Society» and of the «Federation of the Mosaic Communities» the synagogue will also become, as a result of its restructuring, a memorial of the history and culture of those who built it. This project aims at a scrupulous restoration of the edifice; there will be minimal changes: the inserting of a multifunctional platform, the opening of the front archways, the decrease of the number of places. The ways of access, the foyers, the cafeteria shall be enclosed into a «transparent» metal and glass cover whereas the mechanical systems will be gathered in the basement and in two «lateral towers». The light and transparent cover that wraps up the massive structure will be allowing the visitors to move literally within a historical, architectural and symbolic stratification and people to contemplate the large building from the inside as well as from the outside at a short distance. They will also be able to watch the old buildings around the Teresian Hospital, the Franciscan Monastery or they will have the possibility to look at old pictures and various artefacts pertaining to the past of the Jewish community or of the Philharmonic Society. By examining the ambiguous relation «tradition modernity», I believe I can divide the issue into two sides: tradition and modernity can be thought of as the two sides of the same medal. When the reforms of the «Enlightenment» age and the industrialization destroyed the cohesion of the ancient world, that cohesion was replaced by a new one based on national construction supported by carefully selected elements of the folklore, linguistic, architectural tradition, which acquired an intangible mythical status. When the modern world entered the age of globalization, the national cultural tradition was added up with stronger versions: the virulent ethno-nationalism of the regions and provinces (the Basque Province, Corsica etc.) and the religious fundamentalism. According to the political scientist Benjamin Barber, the global world is about to radically reform the tradition modernity dialectic, IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 199

200 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space its new terms being «Mc World» (the global economy) versus «Jihad» (the virulent ethno-nationalism + religious fundamentalism). The rhythm and the effects of the global integration alter what is still valid in the identity structure leading to the refuge into the radical forms of the ethnical and religious tradition. The obvious increase in some regions of the world of the appetite for the «Jihad» is paralleled by the compulsive restoring of the historical monuments in other regions. From the new Japanese hobby of collecting and re-building ancient rural farms within the metropolises, to the recent passion of the Asian «tigers» of restoring old wards that still exist and to the demolition of mosques by fanatical Hindoos or the desecration of the «Tomb of Jacob» in Israel between all these, there probably is but a difference of intensity. The binary opposition tradition modernity is actually a triad of answers; we may heed not two, but three outlooks in working out this binomial. There is a utilitarian thinking that promiscuously dwells on tradition as a consumers object under the form of a substitute, of pastiche or of commercial altering; besides, there is the national romantism that has persisted and, according to this, tradition means the inclusion of the «genius» or of the «destiny» of an ethnical group, and, therefore, tradition is the authentic «source» of any actual inspiration, whereas the third pole is comprised in «avant-gardism» the stage of innovations and break-offs, a culture of contesting and subversion. According to Luc Ferry, the key words that describe the actions of these three poles are: «consumption, rootedness, uprooting» (9). To these we may associate exemplary sites in triads such as: «Disneyland», «Rothenburg-ob-der-Taube», «Kansai», for instance. I am cautious with respect to any undiscriminate and collective assuming of identity no matter how refinedly and emotionally this might be formulated. Nowadays we may reasonably consider that individual rights including the ones concerning cultural manifestation should be deemed as a priority over the collective aims, and that their exercise should be associated with a true anti-discriminatory 200

201 attitude. As a matter of fact this is about a certain type of moral commitment that Ronald Dworkin called «procedural» as opposed to commitments related to communitarian purposes of life, which he called «substantive» and which bring about rights and obligations. Charles Taylor believes that a liberal society is «the type of society which, as a society, does not adopt a substantive point of view concerning the purposes of life» that is it cannot tell to the ones who have different views than those of the majority: «the way you think is not equally valuable ½...¹ as is the way the majority of your fellow countrymen think» (10). I tend to believe that the single space within which one may chose between the elements of identity is the personal project of existence of each individual subject. According to Alain Tourraine, «the subject has no other content but self-generation. He serves no other purpose, value, rule, except for his own need and wish to resist against de-humanization within a universe in motion, lacking order and equilibrium.» (11). Only the subject may choose between «Consumption, Rootedness and Uprooting». He must accept «the Other» as equally entitled to acknowledgement whereas the society should extend over him as an individual and not as a member of an ethnic, cultural, economic, religious group, an institutional protection. The last two centuries witnessed the subordination of individuals to some supra-individual entities: ethnical group, race, reason, history, group culture, various ideologies. The difference, the peculiarity, the individual definition were regarded as perils; even the avant-gardists manifested collectively most of the time. We are being offered a new modernity with its ambiguous and fascinating attractions, and its natural counter-weight should not be but a mere intensification of the old «traditional» definitions nor an artificial «rootedness» into a «genius loci», heeded as a protective entity on a supra-individual level. The way from this point to the «Jihad» is not a long one. We should tend as far as possible towards an open horizon of individual options, of mutual acknowledgement with responsibility and respect for the difference. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 201

202 Notes: 1. Florin Colpaci, Adrian Cristescu, Vlad Gaivoronschi, Adrian Iona[iu, Claudiu Panaitescu. 2. As Harold Bloom defined it. 3. Edward W. Said, Orientalism, Pantheon Press, New York, Harold Bloom, The Western Canon. The Books and the School of the Ages, Harcourt Brace & Co., Ioan Andreescu, Dan D`ncil`. 6. The Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary. 7. «The Other Balkan Wars. A 1913 Carnegie Endowment Inquiry in Retrospect with a New Introduction and Reflections on the Present Conflict by George F. Kennan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace», Washington D.C., As many other synagogues built in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany at about the same time. 9. Luc Ferry, Le nouvel ordre écologique, Ed. Grasset & Fasquelle, Paris, Charles Taylor, The Politics of Recognition in: Multiculturalism, Princeton University Press, Alain Touraine, Pourrons-nous vivre ensemble? Égaux et différrents, Librairie Arthème Fayard, Ioan Andreescu Translation: Ioan Andreescu (Genius Loci Catalogue, Ed. Simetria 2002, pp )

203 Capitolul II Second Chapter Locuirea spa]iului urban The Urban Space Habitation

204

205 Din pivni]` pån` \n pod IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Motto: «A[adar din pivni]` pån` \n pod tot schemele coborårii, s`p`rii, involu]iei [i arhetipurile intimit`]ii domin` imaginile casei. Casa pentru reverie nu e niciodat` zid`rie, fa]ad` sau acoperi[; ea r`måne locuin]`, [i doar pentru estetica arhitectural` se perverte[te ea \n aliniere de pere]i [i \n turnul Babel.» Gilbert Durand (1) Privite dintr-un punct de vedere exterior [i ra]ional, pivni]a [i podul au func]ii preponderent de serviciu. Acoperi[ul colibei primitive, cu structura sa, conform abatelui Laugier, ne aminte[te de \nse[i originile arhitecturii. ntr-o ordine fireasc`, tectonica sistemului scheletal al acoperirii, al`turi de textila \nchiderilor, stereotomia zid`riilor [i plastica ceramicii sunt materii [i, deopotriv`, tehnologii ale arhitectului constructor, conform lui Gotfried Semper. ntr-o viziune ra]ional` [i solar`, Le Corbusier neag` podul-«depozit» \nlocuindu-l cu terasa \nverzit`. Analizele teoriilor de tip postmodern scot \n eviden]`, \n primul rånd, func]iile semantice ale acoperi[ului \n timp ce analizele «antropologului-arhitect» contest` legitimitatea podului-«depozit»: \n cadrul mai multor matrici generatoare (patterns), Christopher Alexander (2) \ndeamn` la \nlocuirea acestuia cu mansarda [i transformarea acestuia din spa]iu de serviciu \n spa]iu deservit ]inånd cont atåt de necesit`]ile practice cåt [i de valen]ele simbolice ale unei asemenea opera]ii. Accentul se pune pe extremitatea solar`, fapt ne\ntåmpl`tor, pentru c` din exterior, dubletul pivni]` / pod se traduce \n invizibil / vizibil, iar valen]ele simbolice, cosmologice [i de reprezentare social` \n cazul acoperirii sunt atåt de numeroase [i de diverse. Ar trebui s` ad`ug`m aici anchetele istoricilor, 205

206 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban antropologilor [i etnologilor; acestea ilustreaz` valen]ele simbolice ale \naltului [i coboråtului, ale muntelui [i pe[terii, ale riturilor de \ntemeiere ale construc]iilor \n cadrul societ`]ilor tradi]ionale cuprinzånd \nceputul (]`ru[i b`tu]i, sacrificii sau substitute ale sacrificiului, etc.) [i finalul ei (daruri [i trunchiuri de copaci pe acoperi[uri). Cele dou` extremit`]i, pivni]a [i podul sunt, astfel, \nceputul [i sfår[itul pentru casa tradi]ional`, coboråtul [i \naltul ce-i definesc verticalitatea. n acest fel, casa se antropomorfizeaz`, devine corp, se integreaz`, dup` cum ne \nva]` istoricul religiilor, \n cadrul omologiei corp uman cas` univers. Privi]i dintr-un punct de vedere interior [i afectiv, cei doi poli spa]iali analiza]i se \nl`n]uie devenind locuri [i descriind parcursuri pe acest traseu ascendent [i descendent. n ultima sa carte, \ntr-o abordare fenomenologic`, Christian Norberg-Schulz define[te menirea arhitectului ca fiind aceea de a genera locuri, arhitectura fiind astfel «arta locului» (3). Aceasta presupune o aplecare asupra uzan]elor zilnice, conceptul de «prezen]`» trimi]ånd la conceptul haideggerian dasein a fiin]a \n lume. n acest sens, «arta locului» devine o manifestare concret` nu doar a unei lumi statice, ci a unei experien]e vii, tr`ite. A genera loc presupune a oferi memorie, orientare [i identificare (4), iar experien]a vie presupune crearea de c`tre arhitect a unei atmosfere. Aceasta integreaz` dou` aspecte distincte: pe de o parte, ritmurile experien]ei tr`ite, pe de alt` parte, tensiunea rela]iei bazice pe vertical` cer p`månt specific` fiec`rui loc (5). Nu \ntåmpl`tor, discursul fenomenologic este cel care asociaz` cele dou` extreme spa]iale (posibile) pe vertical` ale unei case. Ca arhitec]i putem, astfel, s` p`r`sim uneori «dictatura» planului (idiogram` a func]ionalit`]ii), \n favoarea sec]iunii (idiogram` a spiritului unei arhitecturi), realizånd c` suntem deopotriv` sculptori \n materia plastic` teluric` [i constructori de tectonici aeriene. Pentru Gaston Bachelard (6), aceast` tensiune vertical` a \naltului [i coboråtului devine tema fundamental` pentru fenomenologia locuirii. n cazul s`u, avem de a face cu abolirea 206

207 analizei obiectivatoare, ra]ionale, asupra spa]iului [i edific`rii [i cu accentuarea virtu]ilor originare ale imaginilor [i experien]elor tr`ite. Fenomenologia imaginarului descoper`, astfel, microcosmosul privilegiat al casei ce «recapituleaz` de la pivni]` la pod simbolurile lumii \n piatra, \n grinzile, \n vatra, \n fåntåna, \n pivni]ele sale umede [i \ntunecoase, \n podul aerian [i uscat». (7). Pentru Bachelard, organizarea spa]iului \n sånul locuirii devine un element fundamental, precum focul, apa, etc., ce permite a evoca lic`riri de reverie luminate de sinteza imemorialului (imagina]ie) [i amintirii (memorie). «Supracon[tientul» poetic atribuie valori simbolice, importante celor dou` spa]ii ignorate, pivni]a [i podul, o cas` complet` oniric trebuind s` le con]in` deopotriv`. Topo-analiza lui Bachelard se refer` la un studiu psihologic al locurilor intime, spa]ii iubite, protective, spa]ii ce \n alveolele lor capteaz` [i suspend` timpul comprimat: «\n spa]iu g`sim frumoasele fosile de durat` concretizate de lungile hibern`ri...» (8); amintirile devin cu atåt mai solide, mai imobile, cu cåt sunt mai bine spa]ializate. Atåt podul, cåt [i pivni]a au, pentru Bachelard, valoare de «cochilie», adic` de spa]ii ale singur`t`]ii fericite \n care incon[tientul normal [tie s` se pun` la un ad`post confortabil. Ra]ionalitatea podului cu solida sa geometrie fiin]eaz` \n opozi]ie cu ira]ionalitatea pivni]ei, cu profunzimile sale s`pate. Avem, astfel, o dubl` semnifica]ie, pe de o parte, cea a verticalit`]ii antropomorfe a casei, pe de alt` parte, cea de fiin]` a naturii, solidar` cu materiile, apele, muntele, etc. ce f`uresc p`måntul. Parcursul dintre cele dou` extreme spa]iale este la fel de important. Scara ce coboar` la beci coboar` mereu, coborå[ul ei \l reg`sim \n amintiri, caracterizånd oniricul nostru; scara ce urc` la pod este mult mai rapid`, mai frust`, o urc`m mereu, avånd semnifica]ia ascensiunii eroice c`tre solitudinea lini[tit`. Analizåndu-i antropologia imaginarului a lui Bachelard, Gilbert Durand se refer` la semnifica]iile materne ale spa]iului locuit, \n care sc`rile coboar` mereu, chiar [i atunci cånd ele urc` \n pod, ele tot coboar` «... \n inima misterului, a unui IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 207

208 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban mister desigur de alt` calitate decåt cel al pivni]ei, dar la fel de nuan]at de izolare, de regresiune, de intimitate...» (9). n concluzie, din aceast` perspectiv`, senzual` [i introvertit`, o cas`, o organizare spa]ial` ce tinde a fi complet` oniric conecteaz` [i diferen]iaz` cele dou` extreme spa]iale. Ea este altceva decåt cutiile suprapuse «locuri geometrice», ansambluri de spa]ii conven]ionale, egale unele fa]` de celelalte, mobilate cu imagini, bibelouri, etc. Cu atåt mai mult acest poten]ial de poezie a spa]iului poate ap`rea, cu cåt pitorescul excesiv dispare, pentru c`, a[a cum pledeaz` Bachelard, acesta elimin` valorile de intimitate \n favoarea celor de reprezentare; «casele bogate de un onirism fidel repugn` oric`rei descrieri, ele \[i p`streaz` penumbra». Ce importan]` mai au pivni]a [i podul privite dintr-un punct de vedere «la zi»? Discursul fenomenologic se refer` la o modalitate tradi]ional` de raportare a corpului la spa]iu, la dialectica contrariilor [i la \nsu[irea spa]iului prin asimilarea acestuia propriului corp; spa]iul ra]ionalizat (al Rena[terii) presupune acest criteriu al similitudinii mediat prin intermediul propor]iei geometrice, \n timp ce spa]iul tr`it al fenomenologicului apar]ine unui corp organic senzitiv ce se supune unor matrici psihologice specifice caracterului dual al spiritului uman. n condi]iile extinderii (dilat`rii) corporalit`]ii, a planului liber, a flexibilit`]ii, etc. rela]ia elevat \nr`d`cinat cap`t` valen]ele noi ale structurilor aeriene, desprinse de sol (high-tech) \n antitez` cu cele «grele», \nr`d`cinate (din beton aparent sau din piatr`); raportul pivni]` pod se dilueaz` [i este substituit de spa]iul oblic, dinamic, traseul de mi[care devenind mai important decåt cele dou` locuri opuse. n momentul \n care modelul corporal, ra]ionalizat sau senzitiv este \nlocuit cu unul post-organic nongravita]ional, hibridizat interfa]a instabil` \ntre ego [i lume, real [i imaginar, \ntre proiect [i realitate (10), valen]ele podului [i beciului se dizolv`. Arhitectura devine fluid`, dematerializat` [i mai ales dezr`d`cinat`... Noul model nu mai este cel antropomorf, ci unul ce genereaz` arhitecturi nea[teptate, nem`surate [i viscerale, teritoriu hibrid 208

209 \ntre real [i virtual, \ntre organic [i anorganic, \ntre digital [i genetic (11). Tradi]ionala poetic` a pivni]ei [i podului face, astfel, loc unei noi forme supermoderne de locuire \ntr-un mediu bio-virtual, lume a unei alterit`]i infinite. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Note: 1. Gilbert Durand, Structurile antropologice ale imaginarului, Ed. Univers Enciclopedic, 1998, p Chirstopher Alexander, Isikawa, Silverstein, The Pattern Language of Arhitecture, Oxford University Press, New York 1977, Sheltering roof [i Roof garden, p Christian Norberg-Schulz, Presence, Language and Place, Ed. SKIRA, Milano Heideggerianul «Räumlichkeit» este tradus de Ch. N.-Schulz cu ajutorul conceptului de «prezen]`», op. cit. pp. 44, Referindu-se la riturile legate de \ntemeiere [i locuire, Ion Ghinoiu \n Lumea de aici, lumea de dincolo, Ed. Funda]iei Culturale Romåne Bucure[ti, 1999, define[te cele dou` coordonate temporale, «veacul de om» (ritmurile experien]ei tr`ite ale individului) [i «veacul divin» (ritmurile cosmice) ce constituie baza existen]ial` a locuirii tradi]ionale. 6. Gaston Bachelard, La poétique de l éspace, Quadrige / P.U.F. Paris, 1989, (a patra edi]ie). 7. Gilbert Durand, Aventurile imaginii, Nemira, 1999, p Gaston Bachelard, op. cit., p. 28, Gilbert Durand, Structurile antropologice ale imaginarului, Ed. Univers Enciclopedic, 1998, p Maria Luisa Palumbo, New Wombs. Electronic Bodies and Architectural Disorders, Birkhäuser Ibid. Vlad Gaivoronschi (Text publicat \n revista «de arhitectur`», nr. 3 / 2001) 209

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211 From the Cellar to the Attic IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Motto: «Thus, from the cellar to the attic, the same patterns of descent, digging, involution and the same archetypes of intimacy dominate the imagery of the house. The house built for reverie purposes is never just masonry, façade or roof; it remains a dwelling and it is only for architectural aesthetics that it becomes perverted into an alignment of walls and in the Babel tower.» Gilbert Durand (1) Regarded from an external and rational perspective, the cellar and the attic primarily serve functional purposes. The structure of the roof of the primitive shack, according to abbot Laugier, recalls the very origins of architecture. In a natural order, the tectonics of the skeletal roof system, along with the textile of the enclosed spaces, the stereotomy of the walls and the plastics of the earthenware are materials as well as technologies used by the architect who builds, according to Gotfried Semper. Advocate of a solar and rational vision, Le Corbusier rejects the attic used as «warehouse», replacing it with the green terrace. The analyses undertaken by postmodern theories emphasize the semantic functions of the roof, while the analyses of the «anthropologist-architect» deny the legitimacy of the «warehouse» attic: within several generating matrices (patterns), Christopher Alexander (2) urges that it be replaced with the loft and converted from a functional space to a space attended to, taking into account practical needs and the symbolic implications of such an operation. Emphasis is placed on the solar extremity, and not by accident, because from the outside the pair cellar / attic translates as invisible / visible, and the symbolic, cosmological and social representation implications in the case of the roof are extremely numerous and diverse. We should mention here the investigations 211

212 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space conducted by historians, anthropologists and ethnologists; they illustrate the symbolic traits of ascension and descent, of the mountain and cave, of the rites accompanying the foundation of houses in traditional societies, which encompass the beginning of such process (beating in the stakes, bringing sacrifices or substitutes of sacrifice etc.) as well as its end (gifts and tree trunks on roofs). The two extremities, the cellar and the attic, are thus the beginning and the end for the traditional house, the descent and the elevation which define its verticality. Thus, the house becomes anthropomorphic, a body, falls, according to the historian of religions, into the human body house universe homology. Regarded from an interior, sympathetic perspective, the two spatial poles analyzed intertwine, become places and establish routes along this ascending-descending axis. In his latest book, Christian Norberg-Schulz, defines, from a phenomenological perspective, the destiny of the architect as being that of generating places, architecture being thus «the art of the place» (3). This implies a consideration of daily habits, the concept of «presence» referring to Heidgger s dasein to exist in the world. In this respect, the «art of the place» becomes the specific expression of not just a static world, but also of an actual, lived experience. To generate a place means to offer memory, orientation and identification (4), and the living experience implies the creation by the architect of an ambiance. This encompasses two distinct aspects: on the one hand, the rhythms of lived experience, on the other, the tension of the basic vertical relation sky ground, specific to each place (5). Not accidentally, the phenomenological discourse associates vertically the two (possible) spatial extremities of a house. As architects, we can thus leave, occasionally, the «dictatorship» of the plan (ideogram of functionality) in favor of the section (ideogram of the spirit of an architecture), realizing that we are simultaneously sculptors in the telluric plastic matter and builders of aerial tectonic structures. For Gaston Bachelard (6), this vertical tension of ascending and descending becomes the fundamental theme for the phenomenology 212

213 of habitation. In his case, we are dealing with an abolishment of the objectifying, rational analysis of space and edification and with placing the accent on the primary virtues of images and lived experiences. The phenomenology of the imaginary discovers, thus, the privileged micro-cosmos of the house which «recapitulates the symbols of the world from the cellar to the attic, in stone, in the beams, in the hearth, in the fountain, in its damp gloomy vaults, in the aerial, dry attic» (7). For Bachelard, the organization of the space around habitation becomes a fundamental element, like fire, water etc., which enables the evoking of moments of reverie illuminated by the synthesis between the immemorial (imagination) and the recollection (memory). The poetic «supra-conscious» ascribes symbolic values to the two ignored spaces, the cellar and the attic; a house which is complete from an oneiric perspective should contain both. Bachelard s topological analysis refers to a psychological study of intimate places, loved and protective spaces, spaces which capture and suspend compressed time in their alveoli: «in space we can find beautiful enduring fossils materialized further to long hibernations...» (8); the memories will become so much more solid and immovable as they are better spatialized. Both the cellar and the attic have, for Bachelard, the value of a «shell», i.e. spaces of happy solitude where the normal unconscious knows how to arrange a comfortable shelter. The rationality of the attic, with its solid geometry, exists in opposition with the irrationality of the cellar, dug deep in the ground. We are thus provided with a double meaning: on the one hand, the anthropomorphous verticality of the house, on the other, a being of nature which is one with the elements, the streams, and the mountains etc. that mold the earth. The route between the two spatial extremities is just as important. The stairway going down to the cellar seems to be descending forever; we discover this descent in our memories, in our oneiric life; the stairway going up to the attic is much more rapid and rough, we are always climbing it, in a heroic ascension towards quite solitude. Analyzing Bachelard s anthropology of the imaginary, Gilbert Durand refers to the maternal significance of the inhabited space, IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 213

214 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space where the stairways always go down, even when they go up in the attic, they still descend «... to the heart of the mystery, a mystery having, naturally, a quality different from that of the cellar, but just as marked by isolation, regression, intimacy...» (9). To conclude, from this sensual and introvert perspective, a house, a form of spatial organization tending to be complete oneirically, connects and differentiates the two spatial extremes. It is something else than the overlapping boxes «geometric loci», complexes of conventional spaces, of equal size, furnished with images, knick-knacks, etc. This poetical potential of the space expresses itself more fully as the excessive picturesque disappears, because, according to Bachelard, the latter eliminates the values of intimacy in favor of those of representation; «houses abounding in accurate oneirism elude any description, they remain in half-shade». What relevance could the cellar and the attic have when regard from an «up-to-date» perspective? Phenomenological discourse refers to a traditional modality of relating the body to the space, to the dialectic of opposites, and to appropriation of the space by assimilating it to one s own body; the rationalized space (of the Renaissance) presupposes this criterion of similitude mediated by geometric proportion, while the lived space of the phenomenologic belongs to a sensitive organic body which subjects itself to psychological matrices specific to the dual character of the human spirit. In the context of the expansion (dilation) of corporeality, of the free plan, of flexibility etc., the relationship elevated-rooted acquires the new qualities of aerial structures, detached from the ground (high-tech), in antithesis with the «heavy», rooted one (of apparent concrete or stone); the cellar-attic relation dilutes and is substituted by the oblique, dynamic space, the direction of movement becoming more important than the two opposing places. When the corporeal, rationalized or sensitive model is replaced with a post-organic, non-gravitational, hybrid one the unstable interface between ego and the world, the real and the imaginary, between project and reality (10), the characteristics of the cellar and of the attic are beginning to dissolve. Architecture becomes fluid dematerialized and, especially, uprooted

215 The new model is not the anthropomorphous one, but one generating unexpected, unmeasured, visceral forms of architecture, a hybrid territory between the real and the virtual, between the organic and the inorganic, between the digital and the genetic (11). The traditional poetics of the cellar and attic is thus giving way to a new, supra-modern form of habitation in a bio-virtual environment, a world of infinite alterity. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Notes: 1. Gilbert Durand, Structurile antropologice ale imaginarului, Univers Enciclopedic Publishing House, 1998, p Christopher Alexander, Isikawa, Silverstein, The Pattern Language of Arhitecture, Oxford University Press, New York 1977, Sheltering roof and Roof garden, pp Christian Norberg-Schulz, Presence, Language and Place, SKIRA Publishing House, Milan, The Heideggerian term «Räumlichkeit» is translated by Ch. N.-Schulz by resorting to the concept of «presence» op. cit. pp. 44, Referring to the rites of foundation and habitation, Ion Ghinoiu, in Lumea de aici, lumea de dincolo, Ed. Funda]iei Culturale Romåne Bucure[ti, 1999, defines the two temporal coordinates, «human century» (the rhythms of the lived experience of a person) and the «divine century» (cosmic rhythms) which constitute the existential basis of traditional habitation. 6. Gaston Bachelard, La poétique de l éspace, Quadrige / P.U.F. Paris, 1989 (fourth edition). 7. Gilbert Durand, Aventurile imaginii, Nemira, 1999, p Gaston Bachelard, op. cit., p Gilbert Durand, Structurile antropologice ale imaginarului, Univers Enciclopedic Publishing House, 1998, p Maria Luisa Palumbo, New Wombs. Electronic Bodies and Architectural Disorders, Birkhäuser, Ibid. Vlad Gaivoronschi Translation: Claudia Rada (The text was initially published in issue no. 3 / 2001 of «de architecur`» magazine) 215

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217 ntre stereotomie [i textil` IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Motto: «nc` de la \nceput, turnul a devenit pentru mine un loc al maturiz`rii påntecele mamei sau o form` matern` \n care puteam fi din nou a[a cum sunt, cum am fost [i cum voi fi. Turnul \mi d`dea senza]ia de a rena[te \n piatr`. mi ap`rea ca o realizare a ceea ce \nainte era doar b`nuit [i ca o reprezentare a individua]iei. O amintire aere perennius» (1). Ce [i-ar dori un bloc de piatr`, dac` ar fi s` ne amintim despre «o \ntrebare» similar` pus` c`r`mizii de c`tre Louis Kahn? (2) Negre[it, turnul ar putea fi r`spunsul s`u. Dar, dac` o c`r`mid` \[i dore[te bolta, arcul, cupola, fiind potrivit` pentru måna zidarului [i pentru ]esere, un bloc de piatr`, de stånc`, un bolovan, \[i poate dori, spre deosebire de alte materii, mai mult decåt zidirea. Atåta vreme cåt, precum lemnul, dar la celalalt cap`t al sc`rii temporale, piatra cre[te organic [i durabil, ea \[i dore[te centrul [i \n`l]imea, «piatr` pus`, stålp» betil, care pentru Iacov este o cas` a divinit`]ii, \[i dore[te, de asemenea, s` fie pe de o parte piatr` de temelie, pe de alt` parte piatr` conic` de vårf [i \mpreun` s` defineasc` axialitatea vertical` identificare simbolic` a centrului Lumii (3). Dorin]ele sale sunt cele tipice ale unei materii legendare ce ne trimit c`tre imagini primordiale. [i dore[te timpul care s` o modeleze, apa (ocean, ap` curg`toare) care s` o road`, sculpteze, rotunjeasc`. C`zut` fiind din ceruri, aflåndu-se \ntr-un exil temporar (4), conform tradi]iilor str`vechi, \[i dore[te din nou ridicarea prin edificare, fiind, de asemenea, oracular`, gr`itoare, piatr` a destinului \ncrustat \n ea (5). Dar, precum turnul evocat de Jung, \[i dore[te s` g`zduiasc`. n amalgamul de gånduri, vise [i amintiri, integrate [i controlate de imaginar, materia pietroas` g`zduie[te cel mai trainic. 217

218 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Spre deosebire de cele artificiale, \n intersti]iile lemnului [i pietrei exist` un poten]ial al locuirii scorburile, m`runtaiele lemnului b`trån, dar, mai ales, grotele, labirinturile din sånul masivului pietros. Nici c`r`mida, nici celelalte materii (metal, sticl`, plastic sau beton) nu au dorin]e sau promisiuni de acest fel. Singur`, piatra p`streaz` \n intersti]iile sale urmele str`vechi, \ntip`rind straturi vii ale timpului, fiind, deopotriv`, materie privilegiat` a biologului [i arheologului. Straturile ascunse ale substan]ei sale sunt cele care, pentru cei vechi, g`zduiau spiritele defunc]ilor [i zeilor. n sånul materiei pietroase, alchimistul \[i proiecteaz` propria sa profunzime, iar poetul reg`se[te cele mai puternice imagini ale dialecticii durit`]ii [i moliciunii, ale omologiei dintre corp [i piatr`. Casa oniric`, ca paradigm` a unei poetici spa]iale stabile [i gazd` sigur` a imagina]iei, fie c` este colib` a eremitului fiin]` concentrat`, fie c` este cas` vertical`, este simpl`, lipsit` de pitoresc [i mai ales pietroas` (6). Iar imagini precum piatra \ncins` sau piatra ud` ofer` cele mai puternice senza]ii. Dup` cum ne m`rturise[te, la Bollingen, \n sånul casei-turn de piatr` pe care [i-a edificat-o timp de 30 de ani, \ntre 1923 [i 1955, Jung tr`ie[te «gånduri care coboar` pån` \n str`fundul veacurilor [i anticipeaz` \n mod corespunz`tor un viitor \ndep`rtat» (7). El \i satisface o dorin]` esen]ial` a pietrei, aceea de a fi cioplit`, \ncrustat`. i descoper` deopotriv` ecourile, sonoritatea. n aceea[i perioad` \n care Jung \[i \ncepea casa de vacan]` de la Bollingen, Le Corbusier \n Vers une architecture propov`duia \nlocuirea materialelor naturale cu cele artificiale ca deziderat obligatoriu. Materialul omogen, \ncercat prin probe de laborator, sigur, fix, trebuia s` \nlocuiasc` materialul natural, eterogen, nesigur, variabil la nesfår[it. Modelelor arhetipale naturale le erau astfel preferate cele artificiale, caracterizate prin mobilitate pachebotul, automobilul, etc. Semnificånd tradi]ie [i \nr`d`cinare, piatra face loc metalului, betonului [i sticlei, acestea semnificånd progres, devenire, chiar democra]ie (lumina, transparen]a sticlei). Ca ultim model geometric ideal de sorginte renascentist`, modulorul se dore[te m`sura unic`, capabil` s` ofere «frumuse]e prin propor]ie». 218

219 Acesteia \i corespunde standardul ce se stabile[te pe baze sigure motivate pe o logic` controlat` prin analiz` [i experimentare ce se potrive[te unui model uman, caracterizat prin acelea[i func]iuni [i necesit`]i. Ceea ce aseam`n` este mult mai important decåt ceea ce face diferen]a. La fel, ideologiile \nceputului de secol XX \[i doresc un om nou, f`r` identitate, un acela[i, alc`tuit dintr-o materie omogen`. n mod paradoxal, cånd acestea \[i ridic` «nemuritoarele» lor construc]ii, institu]iile totalitare se cioplesc, se edific`, dar mai ales se \mbrac` \n piatr`, pentru c` este singura ce semnific` putere, perenitate [i prestigiu, \mb`trånind frumos precum ruinele nemuritoare ale antichit`]ii... A fi stereotomic` sau doar ve[månt, iat` dou` ipostaze ale pietrei naturale ce se manifest` \nc` din Rena[tere. La Ossios Lucas, ve[måntul de piatr` aplicat la interior este \ntr-un contrast total cu substan]a intrinsec` edific`rii. n timp ce pentru arhitectura greac` antic`, cea bizantin` sau gotic` nu avem aceast` dihotomie ve[månt / osatur`, pentru antichitatea roman`, Rena[tere, Baroc, ve[måntul se separ` [i se aplic` \n piatr` pre]ioas` pe zone considerate importante. Gotfried Semper conceptualizeaz` [i teoretizeaz` aceast` dihotomie, considerånd ca nefiind neap`rat necesar ca materialitatea intrinsec` structural` s` defineasc` caracterul [i forma exterioar`, teorie total opus` concep]iilor lui Violet Le Duc. A construi masiv din piatr` devine un lux exotic \n modernitate, de multe ori atunci cånd este nevoie de ea, piatra este integrat` decorativ sub form` de placaj sub]ire. Revalorizarea «corpului senzitiv», complementar celui geometric, este tipic` pentru aten]ia acordat` de marii arhitec]i ai secolului trecut materialit`]ii [i ambian]ei, atmosferei legate de aceasta. Materialele presupun «dorin]e» [i «putin]e» atåt \n sens structural, cåt [i de punere \n oper` [i de poten]ial de finisare. Variabilele manipulate \n urma alegerii materialelor forma, masivitatea [i cuplul textur` / culoare \n lumin`, se asociaz` unor valen]e tactile [i chiar sonore. Pentru Wright, piatra nu poate fi doar ve[månt, doar ornament. Arhitectura organic`, atunci cånd este de piatr`, presupune exprimarea func]iei sale portante originare, mizånd pe IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 219

220 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban masivitate, totalitate [i continuitate sincer`, brut`, a materialului natural. O ipostaz` diferit`, opus`, a pietrei o reg`sim la Mies van der Rohe \n cadrul pavilionului de la Barcelona. Cele patru feluri de marmur` utilizate contribuie la atmosfera acestei arhitecturi abstracte [i epurate, lucrånd doar ca defini]ii spa]iale [i nu ca elemente portante, structurale. Sunt ve[minte pre]ioase, travertin roman pentru pere]ii exteriori [i pentru pardoseal`, marmur` verde alb`struie din Alpi cu venaturi albe \n motive concentrice pe peretele bazinului, marmur` verde de Tinos pe peretele liber [i onixul pre]ios pe peretele central. Toate sunt placaje purtate pe pere]i realiza]i din structur` metalic`, cu culorile [i texturile lor \ntr-o rela]ie cu oglinda apei bazinului [i generånd o ambian]` aparte. La fel, \n vilele lui Loos, principiul spa]ial de tip «raum-plan» \[i des`vår[e[te ambian]a \mpreun` cu o aten]ie deosebit` acordat` \nvesmånt`rii interioarelor, placajele de piatr` fiind nelipsite. Inclusiv Le Corbusier, \n pofida op]iunilor sale categorice amintite anterior, construie[te \nc` din anii 30 case cu pere]i zidi]i \n piatr` brut` (8) sau placheaz`, \n 1929, osatura din beton armat a cl`dirii Centrosoyus din Moscova cu tuf ro[u de Caucaz. Lespezi grele [i pere]i trafora]i sau rugo[i, masivi, \n straturi sub]iri la Wright, «textile \ntinse» la Mies, suprafe]e modulate, supuse regulilor modenaturii [i articula]iei la Loos, suprafe]e \ncre]ite, curbe [i torsionate la Gaudi. Precum c`r`mida lui Kahn ce nu refuz` mariajul cu betonul brut, acela[i lucru este valabil [i \n cazul multitudinii de ipostaze ale pietrei ce-[i dore[te felurite asocieri, de la cele cu piese de metal l`sate vizibile ce sus]in placajul, la asocieri cu lemnul natur, cu betonul aparent, cu c`r`mida, (mariaj cu o lung` istorie arhitectura bizantin`) sau combina]ii de pietre diferite, avånd culori [i texturi complementare. Carlo Scarpa combin`, amestec` [i ornamenteaz` suprafe]ele arhitecturilor sale. Acestea cap`t` grosime, textur`, profilatur`, articula]ie [i valen]e picturale, neavånd rol structural, dar fiind organic cuprinse \n cadrul \ntregului, generånd un limbaj al 220

221 suprafe]elor ornamentate [i colorate: piatr` alb` [i verde de Alpi la Banco Popolare din Verona, piatr` verde de Lasa, roz-corail de Verona, verde de Alpi [i ro[ie \nchis` de Cotor la Funda]ia Querini Stampalia din Vene]ia sau mozaicul de piatr` de Verona compus din buc`]i mici lise [i rugoase, de la ro[u la alb la exteriorul Muzeului Castelvecchio din Verona. Banalitatea arhitecturilor poate fi atenuat` \n nesemnificativ` m`sur` de «salvatoarele» pardoseli sau placaje de piatr`, chiar [i atunci cånd sunt f`cute [i aplicate dup` detalii «la zi», fa]ade ventilate, etc. Pentru arhitec]ii contemporani dedica]i substan]ei, aten]i la dimensiuni senzitive complexe ale lucr`rilor lor, piatra r`måne materie prim` a arhitecturii. Utilizarea nu doar ca simple ve[minte decorative, inserarea creativ`, uneori chiar paradoxal` a materiei pietroase, generånd caracterul [i atmosfera spa]iilor [i mizånd pe efecte complexe, de masificare [i stereotomie puternic`, pe de o parte, de dematerializare pån` la transluciditate, pe de alt` parte, iat`, \n cåteva cuvinte, caracteristici ale noii vårste ale pietrei \n arhitectura actual`. Explorarea masivit`]ii o \ntålnim la noii corifei ai arhitecturii elve]iene, Peter Zumthor [i Herzog [i de Meuron. n cazul B`ilor termale de la Vals, Zumthor utilizeaz` piatra \n mod masiv [i face leg`tura organic` \ntre cl`dire [i mediul \nconjur`tor, aceasta fiind piatr` local` cuar]it verzui de Vals. Aceasta este aparent` pe toate suprafe]ele interior-exterior, pere]i, pardoseli, bazine, \n straturi, definind o structur` monolitic` sedimentar` parc` crescut` organic \n sit, dar modelat` de o geometrie riguroas`; Jacques Herzog [i Pierre de Meuron realizeaz`, \ntre , o cas` \n piatr` la Tavola, unde zidul masiv din piatr` brut` este delimitat de osatura \n beton, la råndul ei vizibil`. Utilizarea, \n mod total neconven]ional, a masivului de piatr` o reg`sim la cl`direa pentru crama de vinuri de la Napa Valley California. Precum \n exemplul anterior, masivul de piatr` al peretelui este exprimat cu sinceritate la exterior. Aceasta este \ns` total neconven]ional pietri[ul ce umple carcasa de metal protejeaz` fa]ada de lumina puternic`, generånd la interior o atmosfer` IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 221

222 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban deosebit` a luminii strecurate, dar avånd [i o func]ie strict fizic`, de echilibrare a diferen]elor de temperatur` dintre ar[i]a din timpul zilei [i r`ceala nop]ii. Iat` o modalitate nea[teptat` de a realiza tradi]ionalul trafor al arhitecturilor vernaculare din zone climatice similare. Explorarea vechii propriet`]i a materiei pietroase de a stoca c`ldur` [i de a echilibra ambientul din punct de vedere climatic este tema principal` [i a altei crame de vinuri, cea a cl`dirii de la Vauvert arhitect Gilles Perraudin. Blocuri masive de 2,5 tone fiecare, construite simplu, genereaz` o atmosfer` arhaic` \mpreun` cu grinzile din lemn natur. Zvi Hecker [i Rafi Segal opereaz` masiv \n piatr` \n cazul muzeului Palmacha din Tel Aviv, articulånd o «arhitectur`-peisaj» topologic` [i ecologic` \n acela[i timp, fiind alc`tuit` chiar din piatra excavat` din sit. Dac` unele arhitecturi evocate presupun masive din piatr`, \n multe cazuri sesiz`m simularea masivit`]ii pe structuri diferite. Un exemplu din aceast` categorie este cl`direa sinagogii Cymbalista a universit`]ii din Tel Aviv, arhitect Mario Botta, cu cele dou` turnuri realizate din dubl` piele autoportant`, din piatr` roz de Verona la exterior [i piatr` aurie de Toscana la interior. Zid`ria de piatr` este reliefat` texturat` atåt la exterior, cåt [i la interior, iar geometria celor dou` «cupe» uria[e, \mbr`cate \n cele dou` ve[minte unificatoare nuan]eaz`, la exterior, soarele puternic [i filtreaz`, la interior, lumina zenital`, dematerializånd masivul pietros \n cadrul simboliz`rii ascendente. Atåt \n acest ultim exemplu, cåt [i \n multe altele, efectul de mono-material slujind configura]ia, forma, atmosfera [i lumina este realizat de «ve[minte» avånd grosime. Cele dou` piei ale sinagogii \mbrac` o structur` de beton. Renzo Piano \mbrac` muzeul funda]iei Beyeler din Bazel cu ve[måntul mono-pietros din porfir ro[u de Argentina, piatr` ce aminte[te de gresia ro[ie specific` zonei. Cu toate c` utilizarea \mbr`c`min]ii de piatr` pare a urm`ri un efect masic, piatra se afirm`, totu[i, ca \mbr`c`minte pe o gril` scheletal`, l`sånd, cu sinceritate, vizibile elementele structurale portante, realizånd, astfel, un exerci]iu al echilibrului [i contrastului, specific pentru Piano. 222

223 n aceea[i categorie, extrem de bogat` \n exemple, «a \nve[månt`rii groase», amintesc Prim`ria din Murcia a lui Rafael Moneo, cu fa]ada dematerializat` precum un trafor uria[ din elemente scheletale din beton \mbr`cate \n mono-materialul din calcar local lis [i geometrizat. Opusul efectului stereotomic de mas`, greutate, simbolizare descendent`, este acela al dematerializ`rii, sub]ierii \nspre diafan al materiei pietroase. Dintr-odat` ea poate deveni fragil`, «moale» [i translucid`, devenind parc` [i mai pre]ioas` (9). Jean Nouvel este partizanul unei arhitecturi dematerializate, lise [i pline de dihotomii. Ve[mintele de sticl`, piatr`, etc., devin suprafe]e purt`toare de semnifica]ie. n inima Institutului Lumii Arabe din Paris, terminat \n 1987, se g`se[te curtea patio, a c`rei tem` principal` este lumina filtrat` de pl`cile de marmur` translucide ve[månt sub]ire sus]inute, punctual, pe o re]ea de metal. Ecourile acestui «exerci]iu» poetic nu s-au l`sat a[teptate: Pavilionul Cre[tin din cadrul Expo 2000 Hanovra, arhitect M. von Gerkan, este \mbr`cat cu o textil` translucid` din marmur` sub]ire, luminånd fascinant dinspre interior. O op]iune similar` am avut-o la proiectul pentru Biserica Martirilor Timi[oara (1993) atunci cånd am propus s` \mbr`c`m \ntreaga biseric`, foarte riguros geometric`, cu o asemenea textil` de piatr` translucid`, de fapt, cu o dubl` piele, pentru a permite atmosfera de clar obscur la interior [i, luminånd artificial, s` oferim cartierului o biseric` ireal`, obiect luminos la exterior pe \nserat (10). Tema pare s` nu se fi epuizat la noi, ideea r`zb`tånd [i \n cadrul proiectului de Catedral` Patriarhal` a colectivului condus de dr. arh. Ioan Augustin. Atåt masificarea, cåt [i diafanizarea luminoas` \[i are \nlocuitori. Pe de o parte, betonul aparent-lis ca m`tasea la Ando, Hadid, etc., pe de alt` parte, sticla alb`-mat`, sablat` sau chiar policarbonat utilizat` ca monomaterial iradiind lumina. Pre]iozitatea [i noble]ea pietrei naturale poate fi \nlocuit`, \ns`, cu greu, \n pofida chiar a pre]ului mai ridicat. Artificialul ucide acea mantie simbolic` a substan]ei b`tråne. Precum ar`tam la \nceput, piatra \[i dore[te asocieri cu alte IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 223

224 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban materiale, se poate articula cu acestea, se pot na[te dihotomii, \n care masive stereotomice se pot completa cu structuri u[oare, aeriene, texturi rugoase cu unele lise, etc. Materia masiv` a pietrei se completeaz` prin contrast cu sticla transparent` \n multe exemple reu[ite. Atunci, \ns`, cånd se contope[te cu aceasta, generånd un masiv opac [i translucid totodat`, suntem din nou \n fa]a unui exemplu creativ, paradoxal [i remarcabil. Este vorba de Centrul Catolic din Berlin, arhitect Hoger, Hare \mpreun` cu Kellermann [i Wawrowsky, unde foile de granit verde, sub]iri, ]esute orizontal acomodeaz` \n straturi foi de sticl` culcat`, de asemenea, orizontal, \n grosimea acestora realizåndu-se transferul fin luminos. Pentru a \ncerca o imagine cåt mai complet` asupra locului pietrei naturale \n arhitectura contemporan`, nu putem s` uit`m \ncerc`rile de a-i prelungi «vårsta» structural` dincolo de compresiunile axiale simple. O piatr` \[i mai poate dori la råndul ei un arc. Men]ion`m aici \ncerc`rile de reinventare a pietrei ca material structural \n cadrul celor unsprezece arce semicirculare \n granit roz gotic, structural, high-tech, contravåntuite cu structur` metalic` de c`tre Peter Rice \n cadrul Pavilionului Viitorului \n 1992 la Expo Sevilia. De asemenea, completarea portalului vestic al catedralei neterminate de la Lille, cu un «voal» de marmur` diafan` de Portugalia, armat pe structur` metalic`, ale c`rui nervuri de 30 cm grosime cap`t` diferite inflexiuni [i grade de opacitate transluciditate \n func]ie de lumina zilei face parte din achizi]iile high-tech ale lui P. Rice. Acela[i Peter Rice, \mpreun` cu Renzo Piano exploateaz` la maxim valen]ele structurale ale arcelor de piatr` la Biserica San Giovanni Rotondo din Foggia. Utilizarea arcelor de piatr` de 50m deschidere \n acest caz este legat` de programul eclezial [i de integrarea \n peisajul pietros al locului. Arhitectura «de piatr`» la noi nu num`r` prea multe exemple. Aceasta [i pentru c`, \n general, nici \nv`]`måntul de arhitectur` \n ultimii zeci de ani nu a f`cut prea multe \n a educa, sensibiliza \nspre acest subiect al «materializ`rii» proiectului. ntr-o mult mai mare m`sur` erau importante, la \nceputul anilor 80 pe cånd eram student, exerci]iile «talentate» de mån`, iar acum, performan]ele grafice digitale. 224

225 Pentru genera]iile anterioare, negre[it, studiul stereotomiei asociat celui al desenului geometric descriptiv, \n buna tradi]ie academic`, a avut un rol formativ. Cåt de exotice [i fascinante ni se p`reau, atunci cånd cu to]ii desenam «case de carton», explica]iile regretatului profesor Victor Aslan despre nut, articula]ie [i materialitate... Ultimul deceniu a adus [i pe meleagurile noastre, \n cåteva exemple, valorizarea valen]elor senzitive ale pietrei. Este cert, casele noilor \mbog`]i]i s-au \nve[måntat \n haine de s`rb`toare de marmur`, marele efort de finisare \n piatra a Casei Poporului a generat o mul]ime de me[teri ce [i-au g`sit apoi de lucru \n toat` ]ara... Dar nu la acestea m` refer. n schimb, a[ aminti: experimentele lui {erban Sturdza din anii la extinderea Orfelinatului (centrul «Maria Hilfe») din Timi[oara, unde soclul uria[ peste care se dezvolt` «prispa» galerie este realizat` rustic, din calcar de Boc[a, udat voit de apa de ploaie a garguilor, cu scopul de a se dezvolta vegeta]ia \n intersti]iile sale; utilizarea masiv` \n exterior [i interior a dalelor de gresie din Apuseni zona Alba Iulia de c`tre Radu Mih`ilescu la casa Herczeg, precum [i buciardarea betonului \n subsol (pivni]a de vinuri) pån` la exprimarea brut` a agregatului din sort (pietri[) de dimensiuni mari, rezultånd un fel de pietrificare artificial` a pietri[ului de råu, opus` procedeului lui Herzog [i de Meuron; atåt casa de la Snagov, realizat` de arhitectul Dan {erban, prezentat` \n Bienala Bucure[ti 2000, cåt [i sediul biroului arhitectului Str`jan la Alba Iulia au fost pe larg prezentate \n emisiunea «casa de piatr`»; piatr` zidit` masiv, generånd o arhitectur` rustic`, aproape vernacular` \n primul caz, o atmosfer` aproape ludic`, amintind, poate, de Bruce Goff, \n cel de-al doilea; zidirea cu piatr` [i c`r`mid` a bisericii studen]ilor \n Timi[oara ( ), de c`tre {erban Sturdza, \n manier` bizantin`; n cadrul biroului nostru, utilizarea pietrei a debutat imediat la \nceputul anilor 90 o dat` cu exemplele de placare pe toate fe]ele, la interior [i exterior, a «masivelor» \n marmur` gri cu venaturi ruginii la bijuteria Gold Tim [i \n travertin la Pandora shop. Acela[i procedeu a fost reluat, recent, la exprimarea s`lii de IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 225

226 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban conferin]e a hotelului Perla. A urmat utilizarea masiv`, ca zid portant [i ca ve[månt gros (13 15 cm), a pietrei gri de [anovi]a la exteriorul casei cu atrium (casa Ionescu, Timi[oara), \ntr-o dialectic` cu lemnul [i granitul lucios (la interior [i pe glaful exterior al terasei circulabile); \n mod similar, calcarul g`lbui de Baratca la casa Bistriceanu; \n cadrul ansamblului Perla ce se desf`[oar` la dou` str`zi [i \n interiorul ]esutului urban, placarea cu travertin a fa]adelor are func]ie de tema unificatoare. Referitor la spa]ii interioare, a c`ror atmosfer` este direct influen]at` de utilizarea pietrei, amintesc: aplicarea pe pardoseala Agen]iei Romtelecom Timi[, a dalelor groase din granit albastru \nchis de Brazilia, pe care «plutesc» \ntr-un puternic contrast «menhirele» masive \n calcar de Podeni sculptate de Victor Gaga (11); \mbr`carea bazinului de la baza atriumului cl`dirii de birouri a CFR Marf` \n marmura verde de Guatemala, \mpreun` cu pelicula de ap` avånd dublul rol al func]iei ecologice de primenire a aerului, dar [i cel de ambian]` a locului (12). n m`sura \n care societatea actual` se exprim` printr-o arhitectur` din ce \n ce mai mobil` [i mai efemer`, la fel cum traiul nostru, \n mi[care din ce \n ce mai accentuat`, are nevoie de «nodurile» de stabilitate conferite \n sånul locuirii, este sterp s` ne rezum`m doar la materialele fabricate artificial. Cu har, inteligen]` [i pu]in` cultur` putem \ncerca «s` eliber`m» piatra de uzuala sa asociere cu arhitectura oficial` a puterii (totalitar` sau mai nou a consumului). La fel, o putem elibera [i de un exces de rustic. Putem \ncerca [i altfel de explor`ri... Note: 1. Karl Gustav Jung, Amintiri, vise, reflec]ii, Humanitas 1996, p. 233; «aere perennius» se traduce «mai trainic decåt arama» (dup` Hora]iu, Ode III, 30, v.1); Jung se refer` aici la celebra cas` de vacan]` turn de piatr` ce [i-a construit-o la Bollingen. 2. Louis Kahn, «Dac` \ntrebi o c`r`mid` ce [i-ar dori s` fie, ea \]i va spune: o bolt`». 3. René Guenon, Simboluri ale [tiin]ei sacre, Humanitas 1997, p. 274 omphalos la Delphi sau piatra fundamental` [etya plasat` sub chivot \n Templul din Ierusalim. 4. Idem, p «Lia fail», piatr` a \ncoron`rii sacre la irlandezi. 6. Gaston Bachelard, La poetique de l espace. 7. Op. cit., pp Vila pentru Helene Mandrot la Pradet (1930), cas` \n piatr` brut` [i lemn la Mathes (1935). 226

227 9. Victor Hugo, \n Alpi [i Pirinei, p. 222, citat de Gaston Bachelard \n P`måntul [i reveriile voin]ei, Ed. Univers, 1998, p. 142,: «Gresia este piatra cea mai amuzant` [i mai ciudat modelat` din cåte exist`. Este, printre roci, ceea ce e ulmul printre copaci. Ia orice \nf`]i[are, e \n stare de orice capriciu, nu-i vis pe care s` nu \l realizeze; are toate chipurile, face toate grimasele. Pare c` \n ea s`l`[luie[te un suflet multiplu.». 10. Proiect de concurs arh. Vlad Gaivoronschi, arh. Adrian Iona[iu [i colectiv studen]esc, Premiul III, publicat` \n revista «Arhitectura» nr.1 2 / 1999, pp. 6, Dou` asemenea buc`]i unificate cu o pies` din lemn tare [i masiv apar]inånd recuzitei sculptorului, provenind de la unul din sutele de piloni de funda]ie ai vechii caz`rmi austro-ungare «Transilvania», demolat` \n anii 60, alc`tuiesc pultul biroului de primire-informa]ii. 12. Lucrare \n curs de execu]ie (la momentul semn`rii textului, n. red.). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Vlad GAIVORONSCHI (Text publicat \n revista «Arhitext», nr. 4 / 2003) 227

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229 Between Stereotomy and Fabric IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Motto: «From the very beginning, the tower, to me, has been a place where I could ripen like a mother s womb or a maternal form where I could be again as I really am, as I was and as I shall be. The tower gave me the sensation of being reborn in stone. It appeared to me as an achievement of what was only suspected before and as a representation of individuation. An aere perennius memory» (1). What would a block of stone wish, if we were to remember a similar «question» asked to brick by Louis Kahn? (2) Undoubtedly, a tower could be its answer. But if brick wishes to become a vault, an arch, a dome, being suitable for the mason s hand and for weaving, a block of stone, of rock, a boulder may desire, unlike other materials, to be more than just building. As long as, like wood, but at the other end of the temporal scale, stone grows organically and durably, it wishes to be the center and the height, «built stone, pillar» Bethel, which for Iacov is a house of divinity. It also wishes to be, on the one hand, a foundation stone, and on the other hand, a conical apex stone, and together to define vertical axiality symbolic identification of the center of the World (3). Its wishes are typical for a legendary material which sends us to primordial images. It always wishes that time mould it, that water be it an ocean or a running stream erode it, sculpt it, round it. Fallen from the sky, and in a temporary exile (4), according to ancient traditions, it wishes to be erected again by edification, being also oracular, eloquent, a stone of the destiny engraved in it (5). However, much like the tower evoked by Jung, it wishes to host something. In the blend of thoughts, dreams and memories, integrated and controlled by the imaginary, stone is the most enduring host. 229

230 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space Unlike artificial interstices, the interstices of wood and stone have an inhabitation potential tree hollows, the entrails of the old wood, but especially grottos, the labyrinths inside the stony massive hill. Neither brick, nor the other materials (metal, glass, plastic or concrete) have any wishes or make any promises of this kind. Stone alone bears the ancient traces in its interstices, preserving the living layers of time, being the privileged matter of the biologist and of the archeologist. The hidden layers of its substance are those that, the ancient believed, hosted the spirits of the deceased and of the gods. Inside the stony matter, the alchemist projects his own deepness, and the poet finds the most powerful images of a dialectic of roughness and sweetness, of the correspondence between body and stone. The oniric house as a paradigm of a stable spatial poetics and safe host of imagination, whether it is a shack for a hermit concentrated being or a vertical house; it is simple, non-picturesque and especially stony (6). Images like hot or wet stone also provide us with the strongest sensations. As he confesses, in Bollingen, inside the stone tower house that he built for himself for 30 years, between 1923 and 1955, Jung thinks «thoughts that go deep into the centuries past and adequately forecast the remote future» (7). He fulfills one of stone s essential desires, i.e. to be carved and engraved. He discovers its echoes, as well as its resonance. During the same period when Jung was commencing the building works for his holiday retreat in Bollingen, Le Corbusier in Vers une architecture was advocating the replacement of natural materials with artificial ones, as a compulsory goal. The homogenous material, tested by laboratory trials, safe and unchanging, was to replace the natural material, heterogeneous, unsafe, and infinitely varying. Natural archetypal models were thus dismissed in favor of the artificial ones, characterized by mobility the cruise liners, the automobile, etc. Signifying tradition and rooting, stone gives way to metal, concrete and glass, which signify progress, becoming, even democracy (the brilliance, the transparency of glass). As ultimate geometrical model of Renaissance origin, the modulator is intended 230

231 to be the unique measure, capable of offering «beauty by proportion». This is matched by the standard established on safe bases, motivated by a logic controlled by analysis and experiments which suits a particular human model, characterized by the same functions and needs. The similarities are much more important than the differences. Consequently, early XXth century ideologies want a new man, deprived of identity, the same person made of homogenous matter. Paradoxically, when totalitarian institutions erect their «immortal» structures, they choose as carving and construction, but particularly as coating material, the stone, because it is the only one signifying power, permanence and prestige, the only one which ages beautifully, like the immortal ruins of the ancient times... To be stereotomic or to be mere coating, these are two facets of natural stone evinced since the Renaissance times. With Ossios Lucas, stone coating applied on the interior is in total contrast with the inner construction substance. While ancient Greek architecture, Byzantine or Gothic architecture do not substantiate this coating / structure dichotomy, in ancient Rome and during the Renaissance and Baroque periods the coating is separated and applied in the form of precious stone on those areas considered important. Gotfried Semper conceptualizes and theorizes this dichotomy, considering it to be absolutely necessary that the intrinsic structural materiality define the character and the exterior form, a theory in utter contrast with Violet Le Duc s conceptions. To erect massive stone structures has become an exotic luxury in modern times; if need be, stone is generally integrated decoratively as a thin covering layer. The assignment of new value to the «sensitive body» complementary to the geometric one is typical for the attention paid by last century s great architects to materiality and to ambiance, the atmosphere related thereto. Materials imply «desires» and «abilities» in terms of structure, as well as in terms of actual construction and finishing potential. The variables handled after choosing the materials, i.e. the form, the massiveness and the texture / color in light pair are associated to tactile and even sound characteristics. IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 231

232 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space For Wright, stone cannot be just a coating, an ornament. Organic architecture, when made of stone, implies an expression of its original load-bearing function, aiming to convey massiveness, completeness, and a sincere, brutal continuity of the natural material. A different and opposed facet of stone can be found at Mies van der Rohe, inside the Barcelona pavilion. The four types of marble that have been used contribute to the atmosphere of this abstract and purged architecture, working only as spatial definitions and not as load-bearing, structural elements. They are precious materials: Roman travertine for the exterior walls and the flooring, green-bluish Alpine marble strewn with fine white lines arranged concentrically on the pool wall, Tinos green marble on the free-standing wall and precious onyx on the central wall. All are plated on walls made of metal structure, their colors and textures interacting with the water mirror and generating a special ambiance. Likewise, in the villas designed by Loos, the spatial «raum plan» principle completes the ambiance in cooperation with the indoor coating which has been paid great attention, the stone plating being omnipresent. Le Corbusier himself, despite his unflinching options mentioned above, built houses with rough stone walls (8) in the 30s and plated the reinforced concrete structure of the Centrosoyus Building in Moscow with red Caucasian tuff in Heavy slabs and jig-sawed, rough, massive walls, thin layers in Wright s case, «spread out coating» at Mies, modulated surfaces, subjected to the rules of ornament treatment and articulation at Loos, creased, curved and distorted surfaces at Gaudi. Like Kahn s brick which does not decline a marriage with rough concrete, stone can evince a multitude of facets and accept many associations: with the supporting metal parts left apparent, with natural wood, with apparent concrete, with brick (a marriage going way back, to Byzantine architecture) or various combinations of stones, having complementary colors and textures. Carlo Scarpa combines, blends and decorates the surfaces of its architectural creations. They gain thickness, texture, profiles, 232

233 articulation and pictorial qualities, playing no structural part, but being nevertheless organically contained in the whole, generating a language of ornamental and colored surfaces: white and green Alpine stone at Banco Popolare in Verona, green Lasa stone, coral pink Verona stone, green Alpine stone and dark red Cotor stone for the Querini Stampalia Foundation in Venice or the stone mosaic in Verona, made of small, smooth and rugged pieces, in colors ranging from red to white, on the exterior of the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona. The banality of an architectural structure can be mitigated only to an insignificant extent by the «redeeming» stone flooring or plating, even when they are made and applied according to the «latest» details, with ventilated facades, etc. For contemporary architects dedicated to substance and careful about the complex sensitive dimensions of their constructions, stone remains the primary material of architecture. The use not just as mere decorative covering, the creative, at times paradoxical, insertion of stone, generating the character and ambiance of the spaces and aiming to obtain complex effects of massiveness and stereotomy, on the one hand, of dematerialization so intense it reaches translucence, on the other, these are, in a few words, the characteristics of the new age of stone in today s architecture. The exploration of massiveness can be encountered at the new masters of Swiss architecture, Peter Zumthor, Herzog and de Meuron. In the case of the Thermal Baths in Vals, Zumthor uses stone to create a sensation of massiveness and establishes an organic connection between the building and its surroundings; he used local stone, i.e. green Vals quartzite. This stone is apparent on all the interior and exterior surfaces: walls, flooring, pools, and is disposed in layers, defining a monolithic, sedimentary structure which seems to have grown organically on site, but which is also modeled according to a rigorous geometry. Between 1985 and 1988, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron construct a stone house in Tavola, where the massive wall made of rough stone is emphasized by the concrete structure, also left apparent. The utterly unconventional use made of stone s IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 233

234 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space massiveness can also be found in the wine cellar building in Napa Valley, California. Like in the previous example, the massive exterior stone wall is openly exposed. This is however utterly unconventional: the gravel filling the wire mesh protects the façade from the strong light and generates indoors a special ambiance due to the filtered light; at the same time, it fulfils a strictly physical function, moderating temperature differences, and alleviating daytime heat as well as the coolness of the night. Here is an unexpected modality of achieving the traditional punched ornament specific to vernacular architectures in similar climatic zones. The exploration of stone s ancient quality of storing heat and moderating temperatures is the main theme of yet another wine cellar, i.e. the Vauvert winery, designed by architect Gilles Perraudin. Massive blocks of 2.5 tons each, built simply, generate an archaic ambiance, along with the natural wood beams. Zvi Hecker and Rafi Segal make generous use of stone in the case of the Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv, articulating a topological and ecological «architecture-landscape», made from the very stone excavated from that site. While several buildings mentioned herein involve massive stone construction, in many cases we notice a simulation of massiveness along different structures. An example in this respect is the Cymbalista Synagogue building, in Tel Aviv, designed by architect Mario Botta, with its two double-layered towers made of pink Verona stone on the exterior and golden-hued Tuscany stone on the interior. The stone masonry is embossed-textured, both on the interior and on the exterior, and the geometry of the two giant «chalices» coated in the two unifying coverings alleviates the heat and filters zenithal light, helping to dematerialize the massive stone structure as part of an ascending symbolization. In the latter example, as well as in many others, the effect of the mono-material serving the configuration, the form, the atmosphere and the light is achieved by «covering having thickness». The two layers of the synagogue cover a concrete structure. Renzo Piano exclusively covers the museum of the Beyeler Foundation in Basel in red Argentinian porphyry, stone which 234

235 reminds one of the red sandstone specific to the area. Notwithstanding that the use of the stone coating seems to be after an effect of massiveness, the stone asserts itself as coating on a skeletal grid, leaving apparent, in an extremely open fashion, the structural load-bearing elements, and thus achieving an exercise in equilibrium and contrast which is typical for Piano. The same vast category of «thick coating» can include the Murcia Town Hall by Rafael Moneo, with the façade dematerialized like an immense jig-sawed portion, made of skeletal concrete elements covered in one material, i.e. geometric, local smooth limestone. The opposite of the stereotomic effect of mass, weight, and descending symbolization is that of stone dematerializing and thinning until it becomes diaphanous. All of a sudden, it is able to become fragile, «soft» and translucent, and as such, it seems, even more precious (9). Jean Nouvel is the advocate of a dematerialized architecture, smooth and full of dichotomies. Glass and stone coverings become surfaces which carry significance. At the heart of the Arab World Institute in Paris, completed in 1987, there is a patio whose main theme is light filtered through translucent marble slabs a thin garment supported punctually by a wire mesh. The echoes of this poetical «exercise» were soon to be felt: The Christian Pavilion, within the 2000 Hanover Exhibition, designed by architect M. von Gerkan, is covered in a translucent, thin marble coating, spreading a fascinating light from the inside. We opted for the same thing in the case of the Timi[oara Martyrs Church project (1993), when we suggested that the entire church be covered in such a coating of translucent stone, in fact a double skin, in order to allow the half-shade indoors and, by means of artificial lighting, to provide the neighborhood with an unreal church, a luminous object outdoors, at dusk (10). The theme seems inexhaustible, with us, and the same idea was put forward in the case of the Patriarchal Cathedral project by the group of architects coordinated by architect Ioan Augustin, PhD. The massive, as well as luminously diaphanous effects have their substitutes. On the one hand, by apparent concrete smooth IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 235

236 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space as silk at Ando, Hadid etc. on the other hand, by matt, frosted, even polycarbonate glass used as mono-material irradiating light. However, the preciousness and nobility of natural stone can hardly be replaced, in spite of its higher price. The artificial kills that symbolical robe of the ancient substance. As shown at the beginning, stone wishes to be associated with other materials and it can be joined to them, giving rise to dichotomies, in which stereotomic massive constructions may be completed by light, aerial structures, rugged textures can be accompanied by smooth ones, etc. The massiveness of stone can be successfully complemented, by contrast, by transparent glass. When they fuse, generating a massive structure which is concurrently opaque and translucent, we are once again before a creative, paradoxical and remarkable example. We are referring to the Catholic Center in Berlin, designed by architects Hoger, Hare together with Kellermann and Wawrowsky, where the thin sheets of green granite, arranged horizontally, accommodate in between layers of glass arranged also horizontally, the thickness thereof allowing the fine transfer of light. In order to gain an image as complete as possible of the place occupied by natural stone in contemporary architecture, let us remind the attempts to prolong its structural «age» beyond simple axial compressions. Stone may also wish to become an arch. Let us mention here the attempts to reinvent stone as a structural material, within the eleven semi-circular pink granite arches structural high-tech Gothic reinforced by a metal structure by Peter Rice, at the Future s Pavilion in 1992, on the occasion of the Sevilla Exhibition. We should also mention the completion works to the West portal of the unfinished Lille Cathedral involving a «veil» of diaphanous Portuguese marble, on a metal armor, whose 30 cm thick ribs gain several inflexions and degrees of opaquenesstranslucency, according to the day light, part of the high-tech portfolio of P. Rice. The same Peter Rice together with Renzo Piano makes maximum use of the structural qualities of the Foggia Church of San Giovanni Rotondo s stone archways. The use of the stone archways having a 50 m opening in this case is linked to the ecclesiastical program and to the integration in the stony landscape. 236

237 Stone architecture does not abound in local examples. This also happens because the architectural education in the last ten years has not done much to educate the students and raise their awareness with respect to this «materialization» of the project. More emphasis was placed, in the early 80s, when I was a student, on exercising one s «talent» by hand, and nowadays on digital graphic performance. For previous generations, the study of stereotomy associated to that of the descriptive geometric drawing, in the good old fashioned academic tradition, undoubtedly played a formative part. How exotic and fascinating were the explanations of our much regretted professor Victor Aslan on grooves, articulation and materiality, while we were engaged in drawing «cardboard houses» During the last decade, we have also managed to make use of the sensitive qualities of stone, as illustrated below. One thing is certain: the houses of the nouveaux riches did put on festive marble coverings and the great effort of finishing the People s Palace generated a large number of builders who subsequently managed to find work throughout the country But I do not wish to refer to that. Instead, I would rather mention: the experiments carried out by {erban Sturdza between 1991 and 1992 to expand the Orphanage House («Maria Hilfe» Center) in Timi[oara, where the huge pedestal overtopped by a porch-gallery is rustically made of Boc[a limestone and intentionally sprinkled by the rain water from the gargoyles, in order to allow the vegetation arising in its interstices to grow; the massive interior and exterior use of sandstone slabs in Apuseni, the Alba Iulia area, by Radu Mih`ilescu at the Herczeg house, and the bush-hammering of the concrete in the basement (the wine cellar) resulting in a rough processing of the large-sized aggregate (gravel) and an artificial appearance of the river gravel, opposed to the method employed by Herzog and de Meuron; the Snagov house designed by architect Dan {erban, presented at the Bucharest Biennale in 2000, and the offices of architect Str`jan in Alba Iulia were largely featured in the «Stone House» show; stone built massively, generating a rustic architecture, almost vernacular in the former case, and almost ludic, reminding maybe of Bruce Goff, in the latter; IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 237

238 Identity and Alterity in the Urban Space stone and brick masonry at the students church in Timi[oara ( ), by {erban Sturdza, in Byzantine fashion; As for our offices, we began to use stone immediately in the 90s, when we plated all the interior and exterior facades with grey marble strewn with red ribs at the Gold Tim Jewelry Shop and with travertine at the Pandora Shop. The same procedure has been employed recently at the conference hall of Perla Hotel. Then we made extensive use of {anovi]a grey stone, as a load bearing wall and as a thick (13 15 cm) outer covering, on the exterior of a house with an atrium (Ionescu House, Timi[oara), part of a dialectic including wood and shiny granite (on the interior and on the exterior window-board of the passable terrace); likewise, we used yellowish Baratca limestone at the Bistriceanu house. At the Perla Complex unfolding on two streets and inside the urban fabric, the travertine plating of the facades fulfills the function of a unifying theme. As regards the interior spaces, the ambiance of which is directly influenced by the use of stone, let me mention the application of thick dark blue Brazilian granite slabs on the flooring of the Romtelecom Timi[ Agency, on which float, in a powerful contrast, the massive menhirs sculpted in Podeni limestone by Victor Gaga (11); covering the water pool in the atrium of the CFR Marf` office building in green marble from Guatemala, which, along with the water layer, fulfils a double function: it freshens the air and ensures the ambiance of the place (12). Considering that current society expresses itself through an architecture that is increasingly mobile and ephemeral, and that we, in the midst of our more and more agitated existence, need the «stability» landmarks offered by our dwellings, it would be dreary to confine ourselves to artificial materials. With a little talent, intelligence and culture, we can attempt to «free» the stone from its usual association with the official architecture of the ruling class (be it totalitarian or, more recently, consumerist). And we can equally free it from any association with excessive rusticity. It is in our power to explore as far as we want

239 Notes: 1. Karl Gustav Jung, Amintiri, vise, reflec]ii, Humanitas 1996, p 233; «aere perennius» translates as «more enduring than copper» (Horatio, Odes III, 30, v.1); Jung refers here to his famous Bollingen vacation house in the shape of a stone tower. 2. Louis Kahn: «If you ask brick what it would like to be, it will say: an arch». 3. René Guenon, Simboluri ale [tiin]ei sacre, Humanitas, 1997, p 274 the omphalos in Delphi or the fundamental stone satya placed in the Jerusalem Temple. 4. Idem, p «Lia fail» stone used in the sacred coronation ceremony, in Ireland. 6. Gaston Bachelard, La poetique de l espace. 7. Op. cit., pp. 243, Villa for Helene Mandrot la Pradet (1930), house in rough stone and wood in Mathes (1935). 9. Victor Hugo, in Alpi [i Pirinei, p. 222, quoted by Gaston Bachelard in P`måntul [i reveriile voin]ei, Univers Publishing House, 1998, p. 142: «Sandstone is the most amusing and the most strangely chiselled stone of all. It is, among rocks, what the elm is among trees. It takes on any forms, it is capable of any whim, there is not one dream that it is not able to fulfill; it has all the appearances, it makes all the faces. It appears to host a multiple soul.». 10. Competition project architect Vlad Gaivoronschi, architect Adrian Iona[iu and a group of students, IIIrd Prize, published in «Arhitectura» Magazine no. 1 2 / 1999, pp. 6, Two such pieces unified by a tough, massive piece of wood belonging to the sculptor, coming from one of the hundreds of foundation pillars of the former «Transilvania» Austro-Hungarian barracks that was demolished in the 60s form the counter of the reception-information desk. 12 Work in progress (when the article was written, edit. note). IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Vlad GAIVORONSCHI Translation: Claudia Rada (The text was initially published in issue no. 4 / 2003 of «Arhitext» magazine) 239

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241 Despre «arta locului» IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Chestionar «Arhitext» Revista «Arhitext», a \ncercat, cu ocazia acestui num`r, dedicat pove[tii casei din punctul de vedere al arhitectului, o sondare direct` a modului acestuia de a vedea [i de a concepe un proiect arhitectural din mai multe puncte de vedere, dar, \n primul rånd, prin prisma rela]iei cu locul. Astfel, am pus o serie de \ntreb`ri, menite a contura modurile \n care este ilustrat` aceast` poveste, mai multor arhitec]i: Vlad Gaivoronschi, Mario Kuibu[, Adrian Spirescu, George Mitrache, Florin Adamescu. ntreb`rile au fost urm`toarele: 1. Care este, din punctul dumneavoastr` de vedere, rela]ia unei locuin]e / case cu locul \n care ea va fi sau este deja situat`? Poate impregna acesta o poveste casei sau nu? Care este, oferind ni[te exemple concrete, povestea pe care o transmite locul locuin]ei? Cum a]i utilizat dumeavoastr` resursele locului [i contextul deja existent? 2. n func]ie de locul \n care este amplasat` casa, care este rela]ia locului [i apoi a casei cu materialul [i cu tehnica utilizat`? Poate locul s` determine folosirea unui anume material sau tehnici ([i m` refer aici inclusiv la utilizarea unor tradi]ii locale)? Cum poate materialul s` devin` o parte din povestea casei? 3. Cum a influen]at locuirea la bloc de aproape o jum`tate de secol mentalitatea oamenilor care acum se mut` din nou la cas`? Transpare \nc` din cerin]ele comanditarilor acest mod de locuire la bloc? Povestea casei ne mai vorbe[te cumva de acest tip de locuire? 4. Cum vede]i, dumneavoastr` ca arhitec]i, proiectarea de locuin]e pe viitor? Ce trebuie s` ne comunice ele nou`, locuitorilor? Care va fi povestea pe care ne-o spun? 241

242 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban Despre «arta locului» 1. Arhitectura, \mpreun` cu organizarea spa]iului la scar` urban`, poate fi \n]eleas` ca «art` a locului»(1). Nu uit`m, \ns`, c` orice interven]ie \ntr-un sit, chiar [i una atent`, disturb` o ordine deja existent` (interven]iile \n situri naturale apar]in, \n bun` m`sur`, acestei categorii); la fel de bine se poate ameliora o situa]ie defavorabil`, aceasta fiind situa]ia siturilor distruse, a celor f`r` caracter. Putem vorbi, deci, despre ipostaze diferite ale sitului, \n ora[ sau \n natur`: acesta poate fi deja «un loc», se poate situa \ntre locuri sau poate fi un «non-loc», un spa]iu rezidual. ntre locuri sau pe situri defavorizate, interven]iile noastre pot accentua caracterul acestora \n sens negativ sau, dimpotriv`, arhitectura poate deveni «art` a locului» \n sensul \n care situl este «reparat» atåt ecologic, cåt [i ca atmosfer`; mai mult, chiar, arhitectura [i organizarea spa]iului pot defini, la o scar` mai mare, «un peisaj» complex. «Arta Locului» este aceea care genereaz` imagini totalizante la sc`ri de m`rime diferite; la scar` mare, ea este ierarhic` datorit` structur`rii p`r]ilor, colectiv` prin na[terea [i implementarea ei [i devine istoric` datorit` con]inutului(2); la scar` mai mic`, vorbim despre locurile intimit`]ii, ale singur`t`]ii, ale interiorit`]ii; «arta locului» poate fiin]a [i la scara mic` a locuirii, acolo unde poezia se poate na[te chiar \n sånul celor mai comune lucruri. Locul puternic presupune coeren]`, o atmosfer` specific`, recognoscibil`, caracterizat` de for]a expresiv` a mediului natural sau construit, dar [i de natura intrinsec` a lucrurilor, a materiei. A opera pe un sit cu asemenea caracteristici puternice, care-l definesc ca loc, presupune un efort de ascultare [i de \n]elegere; locurile merit` observate, analizate prin prisma genezei, istoriei [i memoriei ce le caracterizeaz` [i se reg`sesc \n structurile formale [i simbolice [i pot deveni stimuli puternici, materie bogat` pentru proiectul viitor. Caracteristicile locului specific pot fi definite ca: tipologice, ]inånd de caracterul de figur`, valen]e ce ne p`trund cu u[urin]` \n memorie; morfologice, ce presupun caracterul formal [i substan]ial, compozi]ie, traseu geometric, binom culoare / textur`; cu acestea ne identific`m, percepåndu-le nu doar vizual, ci [i cu restul sim]urilor; 242

243 topologice, ce se refer` la limbajul spa]ial, respectiv la rela]iile specifice afar` / \n`untru, sui[ / coborå[, dreapta / stånga, fa]` / spate, pe care le percepem dinamic [i \n func]ie de care ne orient`m. La acestea, trebuie s` le ad`ug`m pe cele ecologice, ce au de-a face cu echilibrul [i armonia unui loc, precum [i pe cele istorice, caracterizate de vestigii, fragmente, situri ce \ntrupeaz` perioade [i civiliza]ii distincte. A ]ine cont de ace[ti parametri, a \n]elege siturile naturale sau ansamblurile arhitecturale de valoare, a asculta atåt refrenele vernaculare, cåt [i pe cele culte nu este un lucru u[or, din cauza unor factori subiectivi ce ]in de incultura sau / [i exacerbarea ego-ului arhitectului [i / sau clientului; nu putem uita, \ns`, ca factori deveni]i obiectivi, pe cei care ]in de regulile pie]ei imobiliare, de cele mai multe ori \n contradic]ie cu valen]ele sensibile ale contextelor naturale [i culturale; dac` ad`ug`m la acestea posibilit`]ile uria[e de transformare ale peisajului \n timp scurt, precum [i rapiditatea cu care se proiecteaz`, nemaivorbind de pericolele «izol`rii» \n capcanele virtuale, mai r`måne foarte pu]in timp pentru a asculta [i \n]elege. La scara locuirii, raportul care se na[te \ntre caracteristicile sitului [i spa]iul locuit este unul extrem de sensibil, ]inånd cont de timpul lung pe care-l petrecem acas` (ciclul zi / noapte, parcurgerea anotimpurilor) comparativ cu alte programe; chiar [i \n cazul oper`rii \n cadrul unor situri «neutre», o poveste de care trebuie s` ]inem seama r`måne cea a orient`rii fa]` de punctele cardinale [i mersul soarelui, pe lång` al]i factori fizici, mai mult sau mai pu]in vizibili; de cå]iva ani, \n manualul Neufert (pp , edi]ia \n limba romån`) \ntålnim un subiect exotic care se refer` la caracteristici ale siturilor pe care le lua \n seam` omul tradi]ional; conceptul de «medicin` a habitatului» [i-a f`cut loc \n ultimii ani, luånd \n considerare o lectur` mult mai complex` a mediului \nconjur`tor. A construi durabil «pe p`månt sub cer» are, \n mod cert, conota]ii multiple pentru locuire. O lectur` simbolic`, fenomenologic`, este important` pentru a \n]elege valen]ele poetice ale gestului simplu, ale atmosferei bazice pe care, ca arhitect, ar trebui s` le oferim. Un cuvånt-cheie este, pentru aceast` lectur`, «t`cere»; arhitectura devine «fenomenologie aplicat`», fiind atent` la valen]ele existen]iale ale tr`irii spa]iului: IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 243

244 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban este vorba despre un registru al «timpului calificat» ce ]ine de percep]ie, despre binomul permanen]` / schimbare, de senza]ii de o clip` ce pot califica un \ntreg, de percep]ia subliminal` a unor rela]ii subtile... O lectur` cultural-istoric` are \n vedere pe de o parte «stratul vernacular», dialectele locale ce genereaz` caracterul de loc, pe de alt` parte valen]ele de limbaj ce cap`t` caracterul de stil. O lectur` armonic` pune \n eviden]` raportul complex dintre ritmurile locului [i cele ale omului; orientarea [i caracteristicile numerelor cap`t` semnifica]ii noi, iar «a pune la propor]ie» este mai mult decåt o op]iune estetic`; cuvintele-cheie sunt: fenomenele oscilatorii, emisiile de form`, orientarea spa]io-temporal`, etc. O lectur` mai tehnic`, (tip Neufert), raporteaz` reguli clare, cunoscute, ale legilor ecologiei, mecanicii, geologiei, geobiologiei, chimiei [i astro-fizicii [i pån` la procedee de construire, alegere de materiale, alegeri ale locului de construc]ie \n func]ie de energiile telurice ale terenurilor, magnetism, re]eaua Hartmann etc. «Medicina habitatului» diferen]iaz`, \n aceste condi]ii, locurile bune de cele rele, materialele de construc]ie bune fa]` de cele rele, amintindu-ne de tradi]ii locale sau extremorientale pentru care locurile nu sunt spa]ii abstracte, ci noduri invizibile ale destinului. n cele cåteva situa]ii pe care le-am avut de rezolvat ca arhitect al unor locuin]e individuale, am oferit solu]ii care au fost influen]ate de strategii ce integreaz` nivelurile de lectur` mai sus-amintite, cu accent pe primul. n cazul casei Bistriceanu, punerea \n rela]ie a organiz`rii interioare a spa]iilor \n raport cu cardinalele [i peisajul a fost unul din subiectele importante; linia orizontului poate fi perceput` \n timpul mi[c`rii dinspre zona dormitoarelor c`tre zona de zi \n timp ce se coboar` o jum`tate de nivel; apusul soarelui este un spectacol \n sine \n jurul echinoc]iului de prim`var` / toamn`, fiind perceput u[or oblic fa]` de axul longitudinal est-vest care organizeaz` spa]iile decalate ale zonei de zi; [emineul izolat este amplasat pe acest fundal; c`tre r`s`rit sunt orientate sufrageria cu mica teras` excavat` [i acoperit` la cota -1.20, partea vitrat` a luminatorului din inima camerei de zi [i dormitoarele, \mpreun` cu baia, la cota Reamenajarea [i ad`ugirea Casei Richard Fosmann confer` o nou` semnifica]ie unei cur]i interioare, organizare spa]ial` 244

245 specific` pentru zonele reziden]iale compacte cu front la strad`; dintr-un spa]iu aproape rezidual, aceasta devine piesa principal`, un impluviu-camer` sub cerul liber cu [emineu [i copac, \n jurul c`ruia se reorienteaz` totul; din punct de vedere al materialit`]ii, \n locul tradi]ionalei zid`rii, este preferat` o structur` u[oar` de lemn exprimat` sincer, rezultånd o arhitectur` cu fine rezonan]e orientale; camera \n aer liber, de 8x8 m, este atent propor]ionat` [i ritmat`. n cazul casei din satul R`b`gani, interpretarea peisajului [i aducerea sa \n interior a generat \ntreaga strategie de amplasare a casei [i de organizare a spa]iului, mi[c`rii [i decupajelor ce permit vederea dinspre \n`untru c`tre afar`: turle de biserici se v`d \n dep`rtare c`tre r`s`rit, o coam` de deal se percepe aproape c`tre apus; \n plus, casa este astfel amplasat` \ncåt s` fie p`stra]i pomii fructiferi prezen]i pe amplasament. Casa din Zona Martirilor interpreteaz` principiul alinierii la strad` \ntre calcane, specific str`zii respective, accentuånd stilistic acest decupaj net \ntre public (N) [i privat (S); mai opac` la cota 0.00 c`tre strad`, permite percep]ia asupra siluetei ora[ului c`tre nord (luminat` dinspre sud) din zona bibliotecii \n supant`; la sud, se ofer` prin marele spa]iu intermediar c`tre gr`din` (3). 2. A[a cum am ar`tat mai sus, una din multiplele fa]ete morfologice care definesc specificul unui loc, al unui spa]iu urban, este materialitatea, cu binomul textur` / culoare, la care se adaug` gradul de masificare / dematerializare specific, precum [i modalit`]ile tipice de punere \n oper`. n prezent, al`turi de acumul`rile tradi]iei, jocul pre]urilor pe pia]a construc]iilor al dubletului material / manoper` este cel ce dicteaz` op]iunile \ntr-o m`sur` din ce \n ce mai pronun]at`. Este adev`rat c` memoria colectiv` are o puternic` iner]ie [i r`måne puternic prezent` op]iunea pentru «re]ete sigure», iar din acest punct de vedere semnifica]iile cuvåntului «beton» \n sensul for]ei, perenit`]ii [i siguran]ei sunt categorice, chiar dac` din punct de vedere al IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI 245

246 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban «medicinei habitatului» lucrurile par a fi pu]in diferite. n acest context, case de lemn sau de metal apar mai greu. Materialul ce poate fi considerat specific, atåt la modul tradi]ional vernacular, cåt [i prezent \n modernitate, \n zona noastr` de [es b`n`]ean (inclusiv Banatul sårbesc [i pusta maghiar`) este c`r`mida. A existat chiar, la Jimbolia, o fabric` de ]igl` [i c`r`mid` de tradi]ie [i, nu \ntåmpl`tor, Timi[oara este plin` de arhitecturi diferen]iate stilistic, dar avånd acest leit-motiv, al c`r`mizii aparente. Este exemplar` coprezen]a \n anii a unor arhitecturi atåt de diferite, precum cele ale lui Laszlo Szekely [i Duiliu Marcu la Timi[oara cl`dite de aceia[i muncitori ([vabi cu prec`dere), avånd texturi [i culori similare. {i, nu f`r` leg`tur` cu datele amintite, acest material este alternativa salvatoare la griul specific arhitecturii noastre de dup` r`zboi, iar dup` 90, o serie de arhitec]i tineri timi[oreni sunt sensibili la acest material (4). n ceea ce m` prive[te, pot aminti aici o \ncercare de supraetajare a unei case existente, materializat` \n c`r`mid` aparent`. Un caz aparte \l reprezint` biserica ortodox` din Pia]a Badea Cår]an, l`sat` aparent \n c`r`mida de Ale[d. n cazul caselor amintite anterior, materialele utilizate sunt, \ntr-o oarecare m`sur`, «de import» fa]` de tradi]iile locale (piatra din zona de soclu a Casei Bistriceanu apar]ine unei zone \nvecinate, de la nord de råul 246

247 IOAN ANDREESCU & VLAD GAIVORONSCHI Mure[, din podgoria Aradului, iar lemnul [i tencuiala alb` trimit, mai degrab`, c`tre vernacular), ceramica se reg`se[te doar ca finisaj \n zona soclului casei din Zona Martirilor sau \n curtea casei Fosmann. Tradi]iile pot fi reinventate, dincolo de cli[ee [i pasti[e istoriste sau «sem`n`toriste». O serie de arhitecturi care ast`zi sunt respectate din Portugalia, Spania, Irlanda, Elve]ia, etc., s-au n`scut astfel (5). 3. Influen]ele matricii spa]iale de tip apartament comandat, cu coridoare [i camere, cu u[a «frumoas`» de intrare, se sting \ncet. Le reg`se[ti travestite \n noile modele de tip «casa lux» \n general, comanditarii doresc \nc` multe camere, cåt mai multe camere... Modelul acumul`rii cantitative ca simbol al reu[itei, al dobåndirii unui statut social, este urmarea fireasc` dup` decenii de restric]ie a num`rului de camere [i metri p`tra]i. Iar «jocul de acoperi[uri» trebuie [i el \n]eles din aceea[i perspectiv`. Apar [i noile modele de reprezentare: baia [i buc`t`ria devin embleme sacre ale succesului [i bunului gust. La råndul lor, acolo unde structura de rezisten]` o permite, apartamentele de bloc se transform` din ce \n ce mai radical, camerele se dizolv` \n spa]ii fluidizate, iar designerii sunt peste tot prezen]i cu re]ete salvatoare. Pe lång` tristele blocuri ANL tricolore, continuatoare ale «tradi]iei» socialiste, apar noile imobile de apartamente 247

248 Identitate [i alteritate \n spa]iul urban private, unele luxoase, elegante, chiar «premiante». Ceea ce nici arhitectul [i nici designerul nu pot st`påni, \ns`, este crasa incultur` general` \n leg`tur` cu spa]iul semipublic [i public; este suficient s` mergi \n noile cartiere de vile-case din jurul Timi[oarei [i s` te \ngrozeasc` \nghesuiala, spa]iile reziduale, str`du]ele \nghesuite, ocuparea haotic` [i excesiv` a parcelelor, absen]a altor dot`ri, nemaivorbind de pia]ete, scuaruri, zone verzi; nici nu mai conteaz` ici-colea cåte o cas` reu[it`. Nu putem decåt s` sper`m c`, dup` miile de parcel`ri s`lbatice, s` \[i fac` loc [i proiectele mai civilizate. Este de apreciat cråmpeiul de normalitate [i coeren]` al ansamblului din B`neasa «La mesteceni» al echipei B.M.B. Doar o reinterpretare [i regåndire a locuirii colective ne pot vindeca de vechile noastre r`ni. n acest sens, recenta expozi]ie din holul Universit`]ii «Ion Mincu», avånd ca subiect ansamblurile de tip «fund`tur`», specifice arhitecturii [i organiz`rii urbane interbelice bucure[tene, poate da de gåndit; o tradi]ie secular` a nuan]`rii zonei intermediare s-a transfigurat \n sånul modernit`]ii interbelice; aceasta a fost pierdut` \n deceniile «omului nou» [i, eventual, poate fi din nou reinventat`. 4. Atåt criza de locuin]e, cåt [i «criza de locuire», care ne caracterizeaz`, ne fac s` fim total descoperi]i \n perspectiva mult-doritei integr`ri europene; locuin]a contemporan` tinde s` devin` [i ea un produs, un obiect de consum, \n timp ce arhitec]ii devin prestatori de servicii. n anii care vin, casele vor sem`na, probabil, din ce \n ce mai mult unele cu altele; nivelarea «epocii de aur» va fi continuat` de un alt tip de nivelare, cea generat` de 248